Jennifer Angus is a professor of Design Studies at the University of Wisconsin, as well as an artist exhibiting her work all over the US. Jennifer has received awards for her work including recognition from the Wisconsin Arts Board. She has also received a grant from the Emily Mead Baldwin Bascom Professorship. Jennifer gained her qualifications from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Jennifer Angus.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
My style would best be described as purposefully eclectic. I love the clutter and aesthetic of the Victorians in which there was an overtop weirdness and no such thing as too much.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
I create site-specific projects and so I like to know the history of a space. Can I continue a tradition or create a new story that will add to the sense of the place.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
I really admire the collaborative work of Nicholas Kahn & Richard Selesnick. I suppose their aesthetic might be described as “steam punk”. They create narratives by building elaborate sets and props and using photography to create long panoramic panels. A slow walk alongside the image’s length takes viewers on a journey to explore the moon or to a picnic on an iceberg!
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
I’m inspired by travel, reading and watching films. Last summer I traveled through Europe visiting museums that appear to be unchanged since they opened their doors in the 1890s – places like the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
Hard work and passion have got me to where I am now. You have to be driven, have a thick skin and believe in yourself. My best advice is do your research well, know your subject inside out and get a good photographer.
