Victoria Topping
Almost exactly a year ago, Crack Magazine met Victoria Topping and discovered an artist of incredibly distinctive style and vision, creating vivid and mystical images drawing inspiration from the world of disco; spangly, joyful illustrations of the unabashed fun which forms the basis of that sound, unique and incredibly current. What truly set her apart was an instinctive understanding of the relationship between art and music. We thought at the time we were onto something pretty special.
A year later, it seems we’ve been proved right. Of all the commissions for that young lady, brimming with enthusiasm for Grace Jones and the joys of DJing to be given, of course this was the job for her. Because Topping was given the huge responsibility of becoming the aesthetic face of Bristol’s indispensable underground dance music experience, In:Motion.
Back then she told us of the importance of music to her creative process, even going so far as saying “music [...] runs my life, really”. We discussed the strong musical presence at her exhibitions, and her habit of recommending a piece of music to accompany different works. She told us that while many artists may revel in suffering and misery, she strives to make her work joyful and celebratory, that “by listening to disco, I’m always happy and I’m creating [...] artwork to match that”. So we were thrilled to find that she had been chosen to create an illustrative vision for the In:Motion experience, a night which married those elements so seamlessly: a passion for music and its celebration and the collective thrill of a thousand people locked into the same beat.
And she did not disappoint. Since the opening of the In:Motion series a remarkable array of images have leaked out across flyers, posters and banners, bringing together a vast pool of influences and reference points: far-reaching ideas of space meeting geometric shapes and evocative African tribal motifs, nods towards the images’ musical context coming in subtle hints of keyboards. What’s more, Topping has recently achieved an ambition mentioned to us in our previous meeting by creating the artwork for an album, namely the excellent When We On by Crazy P, who fittingly enough will be appearing at the forthcoming RBMA & Futureboogie event at Motion on November 26th.
It was an absolute pleasure for Crack to catch up with Victoria once again to reflect on her collaboration with In:Motion, as well as offer you lot the chance to win a beautiful print.
So how have you tailored your current artwork to fit in with the style and nature of the In:Motion season?
The In:Motion season is a celebration of the many strands of electronic music currently coming together, and my style of art draws inspiration from the roots of music. I include patterns and designs from all over the world in my art, and I feel that modern bass music is similar in that it draws from so many different influences. In that way, my art is perfectly suited to the In:Motion season.
What have you tried to bring to the In:Motion artwork to make it stand out from your other pieces?
Every piece I do is different, but always fits in with the style I've developed over time. I don't make a conscious effort to make any one artwork stand out from the rest, I just concentrate on the brief and, inevitably, the work that comes out follows a style that fits with the previous work I've done. I think as an artist you have to be natural and honest in the way you approach your work; what I do comes out of me freely and isn't contrived.
Have you strived to make the artwork as striking as possible? The images on many of the flyers is very bold, especially the pieces featuring the skull.
I like bright, bold, colorful stuff. The skull as a motif represents a voodoo mask which is a nod to Africa and many of the origins of modern music. I feel as an artist it’s important to include references in your work – in that way it has more resonance and can become more striking because of this. I feel that reflects the music played at In:Motion and the influences it draws on.
Which In:Motion events are you particularly looking forward to?
The night I'm most looking forward to has to be the RBMA party with Futureboogie, Horse Meat Disco, Crazy P, Julio Bashmore and the rest. I've known the Futureboogie boys for a long time and they really are my favorites. Crazy P and Horse Meat Disco are also always good to see as I’m massively into classic disco and boogie.
Are you still DJing? Who is inspiring you artistically and musically at the moment?
My DJing has taken a back seat recently so that I can concentrate on my art, but I’m still collecting and playing lots of records! I plan to start up my night Ghettospheric with my crew in London soon. Music that really inspiring me at the moment is the futuristic sounds of the likes of Sun Ra, Thelonius Monk, Eddie Kendricks and Morgan Geist. I’m also really enjoying abstract space music, as well as getting into future funk from the likes of Adjowa, Fatima, Funkineven and Arp 101.
What have you been working on recently aside from the In:Motion pieces?
I’ve got several exciting projects on at the moment: for example, I’ve recently done the artwork for Crazy P’s latest album When We On. It was really great working with those guys, I really believe in what they’re doing and they are the most amazing performers. This was particularly exciting as it was the first time I’ve designed a record sleeve, which has always been a big goal for me. I’m also working alongside Tristan De Cunha and Iain French on their new record label, Throwing Shapes. Working with these guys is very special: it’s a perfect marriage of styles and I’m so excited about what will come out of it. This is to be a long-term collaboration and I will be doing all their artwork. The first 12” is going to be very special: it’s a re-release of a 1988 forgotten gem Don’t Stop The Dance by Elbee Bad along with some exciting new remixes. I can’t wait. Alongside this I’m always creating work for my new series Black Orpheus and the Voodoo Funk, and I’m hoping to show it all in an exhibition next year.
> Check out more work from Victoria Topping: here
> Find Victoria on Facebook: here
> See more from Crack Magazine: here
Words: Crack Mag
