Jamaica Street Artists Open Studios 2018: a chat with Jemma Grundon

This weekend (June 1-3) sees the return of Jamaica Street Artists’ hugely popular annual Open Studios weekend, in which the 30+ members of the thriving Stokes Croft artists’ community throw open their studio doors and invite the public in to meet them and see their working environments.

Alongside the open studios themselves the weekend features launch parties, new commissioned artworks, activities and the ever-popular JSA Auction springing up over the three floors of their historic former carriage works at the corner of Jamaica Street and Stokes Croft.

To complement our preview of this year’s Open Studios, we’ve grabbed a chat with one of JSA’s resident artists.

Jemma Grundon graduated from Bath Spa University in 2007 with a Fine Art degree, and has since completed an M.A. Artist Teacher and Contemporary Practice from Goldsmiths University.

Jemma Grundon, ‘Suspended’

Tell us about Jamaica Street Artists and what it means to you.
JSA is a really important place, full of dynamic, interesting and motivated people. The studios are a lively and creative hub and, as an artist, this is exactly the sort of environment I want to be a part of: when those around me are creating, it inspires my own practice.

When was your first Open Studios? And how has the event changed since then?
My first Open Studios was probably back in 2008. The vibe and atmosphere still remain the same, as do the quality and variety of artwork. I would say that the Friday night party has got a little less raucous – but perhaps this year’s Launch Night after-party at Jamaica Street Stores will buck that trend?

Jemma Grundon, ’Trapped Storm’

So, what happens over the weekend?
On the Friday night, the evening generally starts quietly, whilst artists frantically tidy away bits and pieces from the corridor – there’s a lot you can hide under a few white sheets! The studio-floor bars get set up – always an important part of each floor, these bars also help us cover the costs of the weekend. The Friday night is always a fun and friendly atmosphere – there are some familiar faces and supportive friends who always turn up, but every year we always see new people discovering the building for the first time.
The morning after is a little slow to get going – there’s often lots to clear up following the launch night! I also really enjoy the quieter vibe of the weekend, we get such a variety of people visiting over the weekend and it’s often when you have the most interesting conversations with people who are interested in the artwork.
The weekend culminates in the mini-canvas auction, which is a really important part of how we raise money as a collective every year. It’s an amazing opportunity to purchase original artwork by artists’ whose work normally sells for an awful lot more.

Jemma Grundon in her studio at JSA. Pic: Darcie Judson

What do you think a) artists and b) visitors get from Open Studios weekend?
Personally, I really enjoy the contact with new people, and the conversations I have with people about my work and the work of other artists in the building. Open Studios can often be a great place to showcase new work and receive feedback from people who might not normally come into contact with your work. It’s also an annual marker in the year, which often encourages you to take stock and think about what you have achieved.
Regular visitors get to follow the career of some talented and interesting people, and to follow their journey through the production of new work – which I think is a really special thing. I think for new visitors it’s a really engaging way of understanding the role of an artist and maker in Bristol.

And how does Jamaica Street Artists fit into the wider Bristol art landscape?
As a collective of artists, JSA has been a part of Bristol for many years and, I think. is valued by a large amount of Bristolians. Every studio community in Bristol has developed its own identity and they are all a vital part of the Bristol art landscape.

Jemma Grundon, ‘Mono no Aware number 3’. Pic: Max McClure

Tell us a little about your own work.
My work is inspired by our transient and ephemeral encounters and experiences; a momentary dialogue with a stranger, bubbles being blown, a shaft of sunlight bursting through the gap in the curtains. An underlying association with nature runs throughout my work, considering how we might experience, acknowledge and remember an impermanent and transient encounter.
The recurring image of the cloud in my work is a meaningful signifier of an ongoing interest in an aesthetic sensitivity towards the ephemeral. We can sometimes be fortunate enough to witness the sight of a perfectly placed cloud, suspended in the sky, only to look back and find that the vapours have dissolved into nothingness. Just as the blossom falls to the ground, and the snow melts, the quiet allure of the cloud can heighten our awareness of fragility. With this melancholic sensibility, also comes an appreciation of witnessing such a fleeting, temporal occurrence.

Jamaica Street Artists: Open Studios 2018 Friday, June 1 to Sunday, June 3. For more info, visit www.jamaicastreetartists.co.uk
To find out more about Jemma Grundon and her art, visit www.jemmagrundon.com

Read more: Preview: Jamaica Street Artists Open Studios 2018