Iris is a queer Cymraeg artist specialising in illustration and ceramics, based in Devon, UK.
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Hylô Iris. Can you tell us a little bit about your tape and your song selections?
Hiya! My mixtape is a love letter to summer (or at least that flawless, sexy idea of summer you have in December when you’ve forgotten about sunburn, sweat and molten hot seatbelts). I started compiling these songs last year in the throes of the pandemic and the height of my depression, in a tiny bedroom at my parents house. This mixtape was my way of staying positive and looking forward to the hope of a brighter year with vaccines rolling out and being hopeful that we'd be getting out of this soon (lol okay).
What direction did you take with your cover art, and what was your process?
I really tried to bring in different aspects of longing and nostalgia into my cover. I love stamps and they remind me of seeing all the postcards and memorabilia in shops when we’d go caravaning in Devon in the summer as a kid. I also used warm tones linking to the summer theme and a film texture I made to really give the old nostalgia punch to it.
What are your fave album covers, records with a great music and artwork combo, or musical projects with a visual component?
I've always loved old jazz album covers, the ones that make use of simple shapes, wide open spaces and lots of type; and as a result I love ones that remind me of them. I love the simple and graphic album covers like Parquet Court’s Wide Awake! and Sunbathing Animal as well as a lot of Uranium Club’s covers like Human Exploration.
Wide Awake! – Parquet Courts
2018, Rough Trade
2018, Rough Trade
Artwork: Andrew Savage
Human Exploration – Uranium Club
2015, Self-released / Fashionable Idiots / Static Shock Records
2015, Self-released / Fashionable Idiots / Static Shock Records
Artwork: Brendan Wells
What did you listen to growing up?
Growing up I really just listened to whatever my parents had on in the house or in the car. So for me that was a nice dose of 80s pop from my dad like The Human League, Marc Almond and ELO. My mum's taste was a weird mix of Scooter, Erasure and Amy Winehouse.
And what’s on heavy rotation for you at the moment?
I get into very intense obsessions with certain types of music every month or two. So music on heavy rotation for me right now is Mitski, Gwenno, Deerhoof and Cate Le Bon, and i’ve also been listening to just ‘Deceptacon’ by Le Tigre on repeat.
What’s happening in your creative world at the moment?
A fair bit! This summer i made some work for IRIS PRIZE, an LGBTQ+ UK film festival based in Cardiff. I loved being able to make something for a queer festival and also for one so close to home! I’ve also just started my Masters in illustration at Plymouth college of Art.
A fair bit! This summer i made some work for IRIS PRIZE, an LGBTQ+ UK film festival based in Cardiff. I loved being able to make something for a queer festival and also for one so close to home! I’ve also just started my Masters in illustration at Plymouth college of Art.
Where can we find you?
You can find me on my socials, all of them being @sionmgnart ( ︎ / ︎ ) or you can look at my website which is seanmgnart.com
Cheers Iris! 👋🏽
You can find me on my socials, all of them being @sionmgnart ( ︎ / ︎ ) or you can look at my website which is seanmgnart.com
Cheers Iris! 👋🏽