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Eleanor Barker is a 23 year old illustrator working in Auckland, New Zealand. Her works are inventories of symbolism, sexuality, myths and fables; the ethereal and the arcane.
Untrained, she works in the tradition of folk art; art made by everyman for homes and places for worship. Her work is grounded in the earthiness of human form and the archetypes of human storytelling.
http://www.drmcoat.com/category/barker
Tell us about your work?
I think of my illustrations as inventories of symbolism, sexuality, myths and fables; the ethereal and the arcane.
The paintings I make are strongly influenced by folk art; art made by everyman for homes and places for worship. My work has always been grounded in the earthiness of human form and the archetypes of our storytelling.
What are you currently working on?
I'm working on an exhibition in May which features artists who work with the written word. I am using pages of "The Lost Girl" but since I find Alvina (the heroine) a bit useless I am repurposing her as a bad-ass teen witch/mushroom goddess. Her love interest has become a bear.
How is it different from past projects?
It's a new thing to me, to incorporate an element of collage into my work. I have used books before but not very successfully, in my opinion. In this work the type is more of a texture and as such it sits in a more organic manner.
How did you discover your talent for Illustration?
I was always, always drawing as a child. I was lucky that my mother and father always encouraged me in this, because I grew up thinking I was an amazing artist! I orchestrated 'drawing club' in the library of my primary school (elementary school) from a very young age.
In high school I was still passionate, but had some very poor teachers who disliked my style. When the time came to apply to university, I didn't have the confidence to study art any more, so I did a journalism degree. Now I work as a professional copywriter and social media specialist but art is a very important part of my life, still. I think the fact that I am not "technical" gives my illustrations a unique style.
How do you come up with new ideas for your drawings/paintings? What is your creative process like?
I am very interested in the juxtaposition of the sweet and the grotesque. By way of example, I am fascinated by taxidermy for this very reason. I draw a lot of inspiration from my taxidermied fawn, Faline. Sexuality, the occult, scientific illustrations of fungus, religious iconography gems, coral: these are just some of the things that inspire me. I have a well curated list of people I follow on tumblr and am constantly exposed to creatively exciting things.
I usually have about 5-10 windows open on my laptop of inspiring images and ideas when I am working. http://scientificillustration.tumblr.com/ is an absolute goldmine. I also follow many cool women on Tumblr who blog about fashion, feminism, folk art, witches, mermaids and naked people; things I'm all about.
Where do you pull inspiration from to get your ideas flowing?
Is it lame to keep championing Tumblr? I absolutely love Tumblr as a resource of artistic expansion!
Is there anything you are trying to communicate through your work?
I hope that my work is intriguing, more than anything. I always hope to invoke a sense of mystery and intimacy.
You are also a writer, do you feel that your writing’s /drawings ever compliment or inspire each other?
My poetry certainly inspires my work. I remember writing about 4-5 years ago "I wish that your ribs were roots so I could ground you in this moment and in this bed". I still haven't managed to paint that image properly, but it lingers with me.
Do you ever create stories to go along with your illustrations?
Always. My girls are kick-ass magical creatures, I fall in love with all of them.
We are very thankful that you revisited that occult piece for Dreamcoat, what was it like for you dusting that one off?
Stressful - and amazing. I loved that character, but I couldn't think how to complete her. What a difference a year makes. I did have some very late nights however!
Your online portfolio is full of characters that you’ve created, who would you say is your favorite and why? Then tell us a little about the creation of that piece.
That's a tough one. I change my mind all the time… But I really love my latest girl right now (from 'biology homework / teen witch'). She's a babe. My mermaid from 'touching the void' is another favourite. I love how vulnerable/powerful she is.
When you aren’t creating mystical characters and thought felt writings what do you enjoy doing with your spare time?
I enjoy hanging out with my boyfriend (hi Tom!) and watching David Attenborough documentaries. My friends own a wonderful old Bedford bus named Rosie so when I can I love to escape to her and to New Zealand's amazing west coast beaches and forget about work for a while. I'm also a massive reader. Lately I have been gorging myself on the 'Game of Thrones' novels.
Do you have any exhibitions coming up that you would like our readers to know about?
Sure, hi Kiwi readers! Come to Uxbridge Gallery in Howick on the 9th of May for the opening of 'A Word of Art'. If you're more global, please check out my friends' Tumblrs, they are amazing illustrators:
