Studio Visit- Alastair MacKinven

A graduate of Goldsmiths, with work now in the Saatchi gallery in London, artist Alastair MacKinven is on the rise. LBF travelled to his studio in Islington to see some of the pieces he's been working on, varying from the inspirational preliminary ideas he composes on his computer to the full-blown end result. MacKinven says his work is focused on 'Abstract Capitalist Realism,' one of the original terms used widely in Europe before 'Pop' was coined; the artist takes prints from his British Gas and water bills and uses them as a pattern source from which to enlarge and repeat prints, making intensely diverse surfaces to work on. In his words he says it's like 'paying for your life.'

One of my personal favourites, this piece is the artchild of an American Express bill. Despite today's stony financial climate MacKinven is able to satirize through his art.

Measuring, experimenting, the artist (above) plays with the composition of his pieces to suit what he believes is right to frame the piece.

A storyboard of ideas. One of MacKinven's postcard-sized templates will eventually be transformed into a metre-by-metre piece.