10 MINUTES WITH MARIA RIVANS
Artists & Illustrators|May 2020
The collage artist reveals the influences behind her aesthetic. Interview: REBECCA BRADBURY
REBECCA BRADBURY
10 MINUTES WITH MARIA RIVANS

WHEN DID YOU FIRST WANT TO BECOME AN ARTIST?

When I was a kid, I used to watch the Saturday afternoon matinees on TV with my mum. There was a Bette Davis film called A Stolen Life where she plays an artist with this amazing studio. I knew then and there that was what I wanted to do.

WHERE DID YOU STUDY?

While I was studying for my foundation in art, I discovered I really liked three-dimensional design. Brighton Polytechnic [now Brighton University] did a great course in this, so Brighton is where I chose to do my degree.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ARTWORKS?

They are labour-intensive collages. I re-appropriate printed ephemera to create fantastical worlds, as well as to rewrite storylines and characters from films I love.

WHAT INFLUENCES HELP DEFINE YOUR AESTHETIC?

There are so many! I listen to music by David Bowie, Laura Marling and Joan As Policewoman while I work, and these all influence my art.

This story is from the May 2020 edition of Artists & Illustrators.

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This story is from the May 2020 edition of Artists & Illustrators.

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