A conversation between Kathleen Soriano, Director of Exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts and Mia Taylor.

KS: It must be difficult to have your practise exposed like this? Did you know that you were going to construct these screened sections?

MT: My original proposal was about blurring and abstraction. This is such a large gallery space and I wanted to play with the way that it is organised but I also wanted to be protected at times. I thought it was interesting to use the screens as a way of guiding visitors through the space as well as isolating details of the building’s structure because I think it is challenging to show paintings in such an architectural space. I can play around, areas can be broken up to be smaller and more intimate, and I can also organise and explore space.

KS: Has your work been affected by being in this gallery?

MT: Yes and no. I’ve never had the opportunity or confidence to work like this. It had always been the intention that the work would become linked with the space and work with the architecture. I’ve tried not to make a private area to work.

KS: Thinking about the balance between public and private, what balance has there been between the art and the experience?

MT: The work and experience overlap, I’m not sure they are separate. With public access their comments become part of the work and they are the experience. Along with all the collaborators they are the work but also carry the experience. 

KS: It feels as if your work has become wrapped up into the fabric of this gallery, how will your work change after this month? 

MT: The idea of going back to my studio feels strange. Before I started here I was looking to shift things in my practise and now I have a practical idea of how I can do that and move forward in the future. I’ve been thinking that it would be interesting to give up my studio for a while and perhaps work in different environments and other public spaces. 

KS: Is it the architecture or the people that affect the work the most?

MT: The architecture is elemental in forming the work. Perhaps the people have not been thought so much about – even though the work is made for their viewing. Possibly it is less about the people but I’m still unsure about that. The public are forced to move through the space that has been dictated by the work and they form an intrinsic part of the gallery, but the work is not out there to disrupt or engage the public from their daily routine.

KS: What about the performance side of the exhibition?

MT: There is a performing and non-performing aspect of being here. When the public is present there is a performance element and a subconscious act is taking place but it is unlike any planned performance. I’m deliberately conscious of not being conscious of my movements. 

KS: Do you feel judged or are you aware of the constant appraisal by the public?

MT: In a way it has increased my confidence and there’s an opportunity to really explore. There is a certain amount of freedom and possibility here, whereas my studio can feel more confined. Ideas that are repressed in the studio can be explored more openly in this open gallery. There is something about exposing ideas in a public place that may be crass; it’s very liberating in a sense that there may or may not be any comeback – but it is fine to experiment. 

KS: This show feels like a departure from a smooth career plan – a sharp break that allows you to analyse your work and acts as a base for new creative opportunities and challenges in the future.

MT: This show was an opportunity for someone without a track record to try something new.