Artist Profile: George Turner
Massive Magazine met with George Turner, a recent Fine Arts graduate from Massey University’s Wellington Campus. A creator in many forms, George explores art from animation to music, digital and more. In a quiet café in Aro Valley, they spoke about their life, art, and dedication to climate action.
Who are you?
Kia ora, I’m George Turner. I’m an artist based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
What do you do?
A mix of artistic practices. Predominantly centred around data driven digital work but I also create music and film.
How do you decide which medium is best to express any given concept?
It is different every time. At some points my work is guided by a curator brief, so I work to fill those needs, and at other times it is through my own research. I spend the majority of my working hours focused on gathering data, interviewing different individuals or groups, and exploring the spaces which I create the final product about. Usually, it becomes clear which medium I want the final work to be throughout the research and development phase. Very rarely do I have a final concept in mind from the start. Using predominantly digital mediums definitely allows me this freedom to spend more time of development rather than the final creation
Do you find your music inspires your visual art or vice versa?
It’s all very much connected, it’s just the same entity. Music is just another part of my practice, and I suppose working in visual art as well makes me more critical of composition, lyrics, etc. But more or less, it’s just the same work, there wouldn’t be one without the other. They’re just completely intertwined.
Why do you find yourself drawn to such different artistic mediums? (music, 3D, static art)
It comes down to me wanting to represent the data, information and voices I gather the best I can. And I feel like using something like painting where the artist’s hand is very clear, personally I would be more prone to misrepresenting these concepts which are central to my practice. If I just take data directly and put it into a digital artwork or an animation of some kind, although the artist’s hand is still very present, it feels at least like I’m representing whatever the concept is more. So, I choose these different mediums because they allow me to delve into research more.
Do you go into your work with an audience in mind?
Again, each work is very different, I suppose the majority of my work would only sit well in an Aotearoa New Zealand context and therefore that is my audience. As I traverse a colonial-settler narrative focused here, it would probably feel out of place elsewhere. But then the more overriding themes of climate change and mass extinction in my work are certainly not created with a specific audience in mind.
What are some standout topics that you try to tackle in your art?
Every exhibition varies, but overall, I’m overwhelmed like most of us by climate change and mass extinction, so I always try to work around this complex topic. Whether it’s something very specific, such as something based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, like the imperialist origins of capitalism via the New Zealand Company, or something more widespread like climatology across the South Pacific. It’s almost always something influenced by climate change because there’s no greater topic for me right now.
What does sustainability mean to you?
A lot of things. It’s a weird word that often gets misused and blurred and has become a sales point for green capitalism. But also, to me, I suppose mitigation, adaption, and saving what there is left. It’s a strange word. It encompasses a lot. I want to view it as a goal, but actually, it falls short at this stage as sustainable living and creating a green version of this current system won’t help us. While sustainability is important, these problems are so much greater and the answer cannot be just becoming sustainable.
What’s your favourite example of sustainability in your life (whether that’s a community initiative, public infrastructure or personal practice)?
Mmm, various things but perhaps most important to me is that two years ago, I helped coordinate the Massey contingent of the climate strikes, and that was really important to me. Although last year because of Covid-19, I wasn’t able to be a part of the organisation of protests, this year I hope to continue that element of my practice and ideally go further than I have before.
How do we find your work?
Currently, my website is being updated, but georgeturner.org or Instagram (@georgeturner___). Unfortunately, there is no work that is publicly viewable right now, but I will have an exhibition in Auckland around November, and earlier on in Wellington in October, and hopefully a couple more throughout the year. As for my music, it is available via any streaming service just under my name.
What’s the best way to support you as an artist?
Um, lotta ways. But probably for me, for my mental health and everything, would be to do your best to learn what you can do to mitigate your impact on the world.
Who else should we check out?
Hmmm, maybe Xi Li who I have exhibited with via freeofcharge.space last year, their work is hugely influential for me. Also, Nickolas Shackleton, Louis Zalk-Neale, Dayle Palfreyman, Jack Rossie, Tobias Allen. This list could go on and on but I suppose I should just recommend going to as many exhibitions as possible. There is such a wide range of artists practicing in this country that no matter what your interests are I am sure there is someone out there with similar thoughts.
