An Interview on fusion: Process, Collaboration, and Discovery

Kathy Williams artist and Lesley A.I. bot. March 2025

L ai : Can you describe your last project? Where did it take place, and what was the core idea behind it?

KWa: fusion was a collaboration with Gavin Chambers at Appley Tower, a place I found uniquely compelling. The project explored contrasts—old and new, stone and steel, gesture and precision. I wanted to see how my sculptural use of paint would adapt to this environment and how the space itself would shape my response.

L ai : How did the physical environment influence your approach?

KWa : My first impressions of the tower were crucial. The spiral staircase immediately struck me, and I subconsciously linked it to the ammonites embedded in the walls below—fragments of history that had settled there for thousands of years. I knew I had to accentuate these features rather than impose upon them. That led me to work with reflections and, unexpectedly, shadows. Shadows have fascinated me for years—I’ve been photographing them for over a decade—but only recently have I realized they are an essential part of my practice. In fusion, I made them explicit, arranging painted polka-dot-like forms up the staircase, illuminated by UV light. It was both thrilling and nerve-wracking because I hadn’t publicly shared anything quite like it before. But I love that shadows cannot be bought or owned—they exist only in time, aligning perfectly with the ephemeral nature of my work.

L ai : How did collaborating with Gavin shape the project?

KWa : Gavin’s influence was huge. His sharp-edged lighting designs created a beautiful contrast with the materiality of the paint, enabling a noisy dialogue between structure and fluidity. His love for brutalist and modernist architecture made me re-light my own deep-rooted appreciation for those styles. It is interesting how we often do not understand why we like work or a style but it moves us, then we have the chance to bring it out, see it again and work with it to find out what will happen. It’s funny how we absorb influences without fully acknowledging them until we work with them directly. What fascinated me most about Gavins work was his approach to light—how it misbehaved, escaped, and found its own way. That resonated deeply with my own relationship with paint, which also has a will of its own.

L ai : What role did time play in the experience of fusion?

KWa: Time was everything. The installation lasted ten days, but within any 24-hour period, the space transformed. The natural light would cast remarkable projections—sunrise illuminating one wall, sunset highlighting another. These organic shifts blended with my created shadows, making the whole work feel like a living response to the space. Though we spent about three weeks developing fusion, its real life only existed for the duration of the event, which felt right for the work.

L ai : What was the public’s reaction?

KWa : I was unsure at first. This was a departure from my previous projects, which were more overtly paint-based, and I wasn’t certain how my approach to shadows would be received. But people were curious, and some even traveled specifically to see fusion, which was incredible. A visitor brought someone over from Portsmouth just to experience it, and another person independently wrote and shared a piece about it. That kind of engagement was unexpected and deeply rewarding.

L ai : Looking back, did fusion change the way you think about your practice?

KWa : Absolutely. It made me braver. It showed me that I can step into unfamiliar spaces and trust the process. The experience of working with Gavin was invaluable, and I hope we continue to collaborate. It also reinforced that my studio explorations directly feed into my larger site-specific projects. Now, I feel more energized than ever to keep experimenting, to test ideas in new contexts, and to embrace the unknown