Grace Wilkinson: "I fell in love with spray paint for its inherent attitude and power it possesses"

GW: I decided to apply through the recommendation from my close artist friends. When speaking about my practice, I made sure to focus on how process heavy my work is: how I take what inspires me, which is essentially everything – people, music, objects, – and how the initial idea filters through to get to the end result on the canvas. A lot of intuition and reworking is involved. I am not afraid of change at any point, and the opportunity for new tools and materials would help me to further my practice.

GW: Any language I incorporate into my work is entirely a direct manifestation and reflection of my inner voice. The words are pulled from a place of deep personal connection, whether that be from text in old magazines, phrases that have been spoken to me or something that I have conjured up from the source of my own emotions. I embody every single expression and every single letter. Texts visually depict what I am processing through my paintings, and I feel it is very representative of my generation and contemporary culture. As young adults, we are constantly experiencing and feeling new things, whether that be personally or socially, and just like me I know others have a lot they want to express so strongly. I also feel it bleeds into other generations because the topics and themes of heartbreak and love that my paintings touch on are universal for all.

GW: The first time I picked up a can of spray paint was right before my last year at UTA in May of 2023. It was in a class called Good/Bad Painting with professor Ben Terry where we explored what made paintings good or bad and the qualities that deemed paintings as such. It was a very experimental time for me as I was still figuring out my style and what I desired to say. The very last painting I made for that class was the one that showed me how I wanted to visually represent myself as an artist on canvas. I fell in love with spray paint for its inherent attitude and power it possesses as well as the artistic effects that I can achieve with it.

GW: Moving to Texas was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I had earned my AA at Santa Barbara City College back home and knew I wanted to earn my BFA. UTA’s art program aligned with my goals to do that. It turned out to be an amazing experience filled with great professors, classmates who became close friends, and the opportunity to find the direction I wanted to proceed in as an artist.

GW: Using spray paint for the first time, along with trying to process feelings I have never felt before, was what fueled a major creative breakthrough for me. I became open to all the possibilities this new material could offer artistically while also being open emotionally. Spray paint reflects the emotionally charged condition well – these two things are both so raw and can be pretty and ugly depending on what I am trying to convey. After the Good/Bad Painting class, I took Advanced Painting in Fall 2023 and with the amount of artistic freedom it seemed like my world had opened. I no longer felt confined; we were really able to be our authentic selves and painting on a larger scale really pushed me to take it places that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

GW: I am very grateful for the connections I was able to form at school, and we’ve been able to remain just as close after graduation, if not become even closer. There is something so special about being able to make and maintain friendships with those who are just as passionate as me during such a formative time in all of our lives. Continuing to stay involved as much as I can in the art community by going to shows, exhibitions, and keeping up to date on social media is how I stay in touch with all other artists that I have crossed paths with. We don’t even have to know each other that closely, but we are all rooting for each other. We might not see each other as much in person, but the support is felt through the screen. I love being a creative surrounded by other creatives.