Joy Arden is a painter and printmaker who has long been fascinated by urban wastelands, demolished buildings, weathered surfaces, archaeological excavations and construction sites. A sense of place, the passage of time as well as the traces left by human activity in the environment form a focus for the work.
The paintings are characterised by an atmospheric use of muted ochres, chalky greys/whites and deep earth colours. The process she engages in begins with sketchbook drawings carried out at a site of interest. These are a response to what she sees rather than drawings of record, so the drawings can take on a life of their own in the moment of their execution.
The paintings begin from a memory of the experience of the place or objects. They are a free interpretation of the subject, where colours or shapes are discovered or revealed during a process of applying paint and scraping back, until there is a tension and a sense of something seen or experienced.
Printmaking, for Arden, offers a distinct approach compared to painting, yet the two processes inform and enrich each other. She particularly enjoys the technical aspects of printmaking and the opportunity to experiment with both photographic and hands-on techniques. Her practice frequently involves monoprints or variations rather than traditional editions. Passionate about learning new methods, she aims to combine different print processes within single images in the future.
Arden graduated from the Nottingham College of Art and Design and spent 20 years living and working in Ireland before relocating to Edinburgh. She works from both her Edinburgh studio and the Edinburgh Printmakers.