insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 20 - October 2016 | Page 17

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
SUSSEX ARTIST PROFILE :

DEBBI MASON

DEBBI MASON , JOINT ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT WORTHING MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY TOGETHER WITH HER PARTNER DAVID FREUD , IS A SUSSEX-BASED ARTIST WHOSE WORK IS AN INTOXICATING JOURNEY OF BEAUTY AND FASHION .
What is your background ? I was one of the founder members of Elle magazine and was the fashion director there for many years . I moved to New York to work for Conde Nast and became a fashion editor at Vogue , working for the infamous Anna Wintour . Eventually , I became freelance and worked with a lot of celebrities including Julia Roberts and Oprah Winfrey .
How would you describe your art ? My art takes you on a colourful journey from inside my head . It is my most effective form of communication ; everything I wish I could put into words , but have never been able to do so effectively . I would like to think that my work is thought-provoking and sometimes confrontational .
What is the most difficult piece you ’ ve ever undertaken ? The most difficult pieces I have produced were for an exhibition entitled 10 Dresses for a 10 year old Girl . It was a collaborative show , working with my partner , David Freud . The works were narrative pieces telling the stories about significant moments in David ' s life ; revisiting some difficult times was sometimes painful and a tough process for both of us . The exhibition was dedicated to David ' s daughter ,
Violet , who he doesn ' t have any contact with - she was 10 years old at the time . More recently , I had a death mask made of my close friend Sally Brampton , who committed suicide after a long struggle with depression ; it is part of an interpretation of The Tree of Death . While it was a difficult piece to produce , it helped in my process of grieving and loss . It is on display as part of our current exhibition , Our Nature , from poetic to grotesque .
What is your favourite piece ? My favourite piece is a 3D-printed corset made in collaboration with Sophie Jelinek and Nick Crouch of Andiamo . Sophie is my partner in art crime and works as technical coordinator in the Textiles department at the London College of Fashion . Andiamo is a young company producing 3D-printed alternatives to NHS-issue back , arm and leg braces . It is pioneering and important work ( andiamo . io ). Our corset is a beautiful piece of sculpture where art meets science .
What has been your proudest artistic achievement to date ? My proudest artistic achievement was being brave enough to call myself an artist and becoming artist in residence at Worthing Museum and Art Gallery .
What is the inspiration behind your current exhibition , Our Nature , from poetic to grotesque ? The idea and inspiration behind the theme of this exhibition is asking the audience to examine the blurred lines between beauty and beast in human nature and the natural world .
Where can we see your work ? Our current exhibition , Our Nature , from poetic to grotesque , is at Worthing Museum and Art Gallery until November 5th . Freud , Friends and Family , an exhibition we have curated that includes an etching by Lucian Freud , is at the Norwood Gallery in Worthing Museum until Spring 2017 .
www . davidfreud . co . uk
@ DebbiMason @ DavidMFreud / feudandmason
www . worthingmuseum . co . uk @ WorthingMuseum
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