In conversation with: John Booth
Get to know the artist behind our latest collaboration as we catch up with multidisciplinary creative, John Booth, at the collection launch event: Art Afternoon Tea at Rosewood London.
What is your favourite piece from the collection?
I really love all of the pieces, but in particular the floral print shirt in Ecru. I love the scale of the print and how the green colour pops within the flowers.
Do you have a jeito Carioca* about your life?
*Literally translates to Carioca ‘way’, but is used to connote a more casual day-to-day habit or quirk
Although London is a big city, it can still feel like you’re living within a quiet little town or village sometimes - especially if you don’t head into the busyness of central London. I feel this most when I’m running round my local park in south London on a sunny morning, before heading east to the studio. Because I’ve been in the same studio for over seven years now, the familiarity and comfort of the area are really nice; I love having lunch at the Turkish restaurant across the road, or sitting in Haggerston park with my morning coffee. Even though my work life is really varied, it's still nice to have some constants in my life.
The Sun, Sea and Scenery of Rio is at the core of this collection, how did you translate such broad themes?
I wanted to capture the brightness of the sun and the freshness of Rio’s mountain greenery. I did this via painting big sheets of paper in bright greens and yellows to reimagine these scenes as a collage, I was less concerned about being technically accurate, and more concerned with capturing the energy!
Do you have any daily rituals in your professional life?
For me, the beauty of working for myself means that every day can feel quite different due to what I’m working on or who I’m working with…I think I want my days to feel different and not too habitual.
You describe yourself as an ‘interdisciplinary artist;’ As you’re currently at the intersection of art, fashion and culture, how do you think this title comes into play?
At any given time, I’m generally working on lots of different projects that might include design, applied art, textiles, etc., which is exactly what I want my working life to look like. It keeps things interesting and means I get to meet new people all the time, which I really love. Right now, I have an installation at NOW Gallery in Greenwich until September 22nd, which is a collaboration between myself and CAN. I also recently launched an 'Art Afternoon Tea' at Rosewood London: I worked with their Executive pastry chef Mark Perkins to design the cakes, which was so fun! This collaboration is on until the end of the year. I am also working on various interior and design related projects to keep an eye out for.
What inspires you?
For inspiration, I love heading to Tender Books, on Cecil Court, as it's such a great bookshop. Another one of my favourites is Choosing Keeping, the beautiful stationery store in Covent Garden which keeps me topped up with amazing drawing materials. I also particularly like Alison Jacques Gallery on Cork Street. I recently saw an exhibition of Betty Parsons' work there, which reminded me about how much I like her work.
This collection features your signature use of bright and pastel hues - what draws you to use colour so prominently?
I have always loved colour, since childhood, whether that's choosing what colour to paint my walls, the colour of what clothes to wear or the colours that I use within my work. I particularly love working with patterns and colour combinations - as can be seen in this collection and my work as a whole!
What’s your favourite colour?
YELLOW, hands down.
Where do you summer?
For the past 3 years I’ve been summering in Sicily - in particular, the island of Favignana.
This collection was captured at John’s exhibition, ‘Up in Smoke,’ live at NOW Gallery in Greenwich, London until the 22nd of September 2024.
Experience the Art Afternoon Tea: The John Booth Collection, being served at Rosewood London until October 2024.