Cath Dunn, Printmaker
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Cath Dunn, and I’m a semi-abstract printer and printmaker. I’m based in Walkley, but I also spend a lot of my time in Edinburgh, so I’m split between the two. A great deal of my inspiration comes from the Peak District, but what I’m really interested in is patterns, rhythm and abstraction.
Where is your studio, and why is it important to your creative process?
My studio is based in Walkey, and it’s one of these so-called garden house mentioned in architectural guides because Carr Road, where it’s based, was one of the land associations of 1815s. The small studio was one of the garden houses: temporary houses people would build while they saved up money for their ‘forever house’. Many of those houses have been lost since, but this is one of the few that remains. So, the studio itself is small, but it’s a nice space when it’s tidy! And Walkley itself is full of artists; it seems that almost every road has an artist living on it. Many of us are a member of something called Walkley Edge Artists, and that’s been important to me and others as it gives you moral support, you can discuss techniques and where to exhibit. Just meeting up with artists is important because you’re often working on your own. It’s also an important location with it being so close to the Peak District, and that could be a reason why there are so many artists here.
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How is the studio set up, and how do you use the space in your practice?
When we took over the plot for this studio, it hadn’t been lived in for 30 years. It had one gas light, no inside loo and was in rather rough shape. We worked on it and extended it, so it now has a little kitchen and a bathroom. There are two spaces in the studio: I do most of my painting at back of the studio, and I use the front for printmaking. The back is better for light, but the front has plenty of room for wall space, so that’s very handy for hanging prints for either showing to people or looking at them to see what’s wrong (or possibly right!).
Are there any tools or bits of machinery in your studio that may be of interest?
I have a Hawthorn etching press, which are made near York, and I think a large handpress like that is certainly of interest.
