Revolve Gallery

Diana Syder

Diana Syder is both a painter and poet. Her paintings are semi-abstract with organic and sometimes floral references. She works in all media, but mainly oils and acrylics. In the last couple of years she started has painting professionally. Her first solo exhibition was in Jan 2008 at the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. In 2007/8 her work was part of a touring exhibition in the East Midlands and at the Derbyshire Open in 2005 she won the Derbyshire County Council Oil Painting prize.

Background

"As a poet, nature and science are major themes. I have published four collections: String, Maxwell’s Rainbow (a Poetry Book Society Recommendation) and Hubble are published by Smith Doorstop Books; Planet Box, a collaboration with visual artist Laura Daly, is published by Comma Press. I have a Public Awareness of Science Award from the Institute of Physics for my poetry and am on the British Council’s list of Science Writers (as a poet). I’ve done funded arts projects, residencies and fellowships. I’ve also done many readings, performances and collaborations, run many courses and workshops and been an Associate Lecturer in creative writing at both Hallam and Derby universities. As a painter and poet I am self-taught - I had a previous career as a speech and language therapist and as a lecturer at the University of Sheffield. I live and work near Buxton.”

Inspiration

“At first glance, the images are recognisable plant forms. Look again and they become something else, familiar yet strange. I try to reach below the prettiness and sentiment of floral images to the savage processes of surviving, growing, and reproducing. I’m concerned with what is just out of reach of our senses, what we know through science and imaging techniques, but can’t directly apprehend. I use colour and form to balance images between what is comfortable for the viewer, and what is strange and unsettling. Day to day inspiration comes from local verges, hedgerows and gardens, and all the layers of vegetation from tree canopy to soil level and below.”

To Canvas

“I am working a lot with pigment and gravity. In the early stages of a painting this means throwing a lot of water and paint at a canvas and then waiting to see what happens. Believe me, watching paint dry can be exciting. The result is lots of movement and textures to kick-start the painting. The ensuing process of shaping an image is slower and more thoughtful. At some point I move over to oil paint. Using thin oil glazes heightens colours and creates a glow you can’t get by any other means. There is a lot of drying involved so this stage takes ages. Months. I switch to other ways of working when I need a change or when the subject requires.”