Artist Interview: Mrs Luva Luva
After many years working commercially as a digital animator, Mrs Luva Luva took a course in art therapy during the lockdown. That’s how she started to find her voice once more, and explore physical art such as painting and ceramics. The artist took this back into her digital practice and currently works between the two mediums.
“I love the immediacy and imperfections of working physically and possibilities of the digital.”
Mrs Luva Luva’s work explores the themes of existing in states of disembodied and embodied reality — physical entropy and decay versus a state of digital permanence. She sees imperfection as a hallmark of humanity, and her work is a response to the symbiotic growth of our digital selves and a cultural ideology that relentlessly drives us to seek increasingly perfect and more efficient versions of ourselves.
Mrs Luva Luva uses a variety of 3D software, 3D printing, ceramics and painting in her practice, moving between physical and digital worlds and layering up the two.
We asked Mrs Luva Luva about her art, creative process, and inspirations.
Still from ‘A porous version of reality’ by Mrs Luva Luva
Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?
I’ve been working in the field for many years as a motion designer. I started out making short films and music videos. I’m self taught, which makes the career trajectory a bit less clear to navigate I think. Essentially I’ve always done things that interest me and the nub of that has always been using computers as a creative tool. I love the skill aspect to it allowing for exciting creative possibilities. Also, the way it constantly evolves as a medium.
Before the pandemic I was feeling a bit burnt out and like I wanted a change of direction. Between the lockdowns in the UK I took a course in art psychotherapy — I absolutely loved it. Through doing that I felt a kind of magic returning into my life and fell in love with creating again but integrating more physical mediums like paint and ceramics into my digital work. I started creating art work through the Mrs Luva Luva name as a way to separate from my old work.
Still from ‘Turning’ by Mrs Luva Luva
What inspires your art? Are there any particular themes or subjects that you enjoy exploring through your artwork?
I’m largely inspired by maintaining good mental health and exploring this subject within the digital medium. I think creating work physically, painting, drawing and sculpture is fantastic for mental wellbeing. The digital world isn’t quite so innately geared up for soothing our brains and connecting with ourselves but it’s exciting and can be very satisfying. I like to move my work as much as possible between physical and digital, from both directions creating a layering up and merging of realities. Crossing over the imperfections from my art in the physical world into the digital world and then back again.
Can you tell us about some of your favorite pieces or a past or upcoming project? What makes them special to you?
I was at Lowlands festival in the Netherlands over the summer doing a live art project, painting peoples faces in the same chaotic messy style as my 3D heads I make. I use substance painter to paint in 3D. It was really wonderful going from this to meeting strangers and painting a series faces while chatting to them and having a real physical connection and really great chats with people. One of my 3D heads was also blown up huge as an inflatable which was incredible to see moving through another iteration. It looked so tactile and as if it was made from paper mache.
Stilll from ‘A chaos mask’ by Mrs Luva Luva
How do you think technology is impacting creativity?
AI art is a massive game changer and like having a very skilled collaborator. I think this particular tech opens up the playing field and makes it accessible for everyone. I find it interesting that many of the early adopters in this doing insanely creative work were women which is quite unusual for tech stuff. With the AI image generators, particularly Midjourney, the algorithm, is currently self feeding, which means you might think you’ve created an excellent image only to find something uncannily similar pop up in someone else’s work the next day, so our ideas of visual ownership may be changing. It also means there’s massive waves of visual trends which come and go quickly. I find it all fascinating.
Still from ‘Patrender’ by Mrs Luva Luva
What is a fun fact about you?
I really love sailing and became a skipper this year.
What would we most probably find you doing if not creating art?
Sailing!
What advice would you give to aspiring digital artists who are just starting out? Are there any resources or learning materials you would recommend to help them improve their skills?
My advice is to make it a journey of self discovery. Read books on things that interest you, do things that inspire and enrich you and let this all feed into your creations. I don’t wanna sound cheesy but I really believe if you follow your heart a path will start to form.
Still from ‘Me and she shadow selves having a laugh’ by Mrs Luva Luva
