Life as a Prism Mentee - Meg Tonkin
Time flies! I blinked and I’m already on month 5 with Prism Textiles.
I’m Meg Tonkin and I’ve been taken under Prism’s wing this year in their new mentoring programme, as I’m taking a year out of University to do my Diploma in Professional Studies. This is effectively a year to explore the industry and gain experience and connections useful to me to draw on in my third year and after I graduate. I study BA Fine Art at Central Saint Martins which has been a useful venue for growth so far, and being surrounded by so many creative outlets and new thinkers definitely keeps you on your toes! My general practice is heavily form based, my ideas sit at an intersection between the natural and man-made worlds. I enjoy warping shapes I see around me through drawing, generally expressed as figures in a sort of abstract void, however recently my interest has focused on insects. My two pet stick insects Twiglet and Cheeto watch over me while I draw so it’s hard not to create around them.
One of the first things I did with Prism was create a physical map with a flag indicating every single prism member as a visual tool to plan who I could visit. Since I handwrote every name, its been so fun getting to put faces to names. So far with some of the names on this map I have learnt to natural dye, discovered my love of an embellisher, looped and wove wire, investigated a LOT of weird and wonderful studios and, perhaps most useful of all, use a sewing machine the correct way.
Studio visits have been a highlight for me as the space an artist works in can hint at so much behind a finished piece posted on an Instagram story. My main takeaway has been that as artists we are all inherent collectors. Spaces brimmed full of fantastic creations and random items that “might come in handy”. I have never seen so much wacky material, machines and collections before this year, but it is very validating to me and my amateur hoarding hobby in my cramped East London bedroom. Bones, vintage silks, fur coats and even a desiccated rat (!) puts my overfilled room to shame. Even Wolfgang, who puts Marie Kondo to shame, has a very well curated collection of vintage and modern toys alike.
Already this year my mindset towards my practice has changed and I have Prism to thank for that. I have learnt so much from each and every member who has welcomed me, allowing me to envision what lies out in the big wide world after I graduate next year, and let me tell you- its exciting!
Look out for future blog posts from me further detailing my activities with Prism members!
Meg
Find out more about Meg’s own work and her journey with Prism by following her on Instagram.