Artist Spotlight: Ruth Batham
Imbibe: The Local, Acrylic on Paper, 85x65cm, 2021.
First of all, could you introduce yourself? Where are you from, where do you currently live and who do you live with and care for?
I am a painter and mom and educator working in North London. In October 2020, I had my first daughter - Layla - a pandemic baby. Both me and her dad look after her, currently I have one studio day a week when her dad takes care of her. I aim to only draw, paint, research and make on that day and then fit in all the art admin and extra work that comes with being an artist in the evenings - it doesn’t always work like that! But I am extremely fortunate I have undisturbed time to paint without the pressures of other work. I used to be a full-time primary school teacher until 2017. Art education is very important to me and whilst I’m not teaching at the moment, I keep up-to-date with art organisations working with children and adults.
My family are from the Black Country. I moved to London to study at Wimbledon, then UCL and most recently (after a career in primary school teaching) at Turps Art School. We never envisaged having a family in London - Covid threw out our timeline and plans somewhat!
Can you give us an overview of your practice; what type of processes/materials do you use and what are your main interests?
I feel like a collector of people in my practice. I’ve been curious about what it is to be human for a long time. Paint feels like a good medium to explore the human condition because it is ambiguous and inventive. Painting allows me to explore non-verbal communication, sensory processing and information sifting. I see painting as a way to filter thoughts and to have agency to make decisions. I want to be an active observer in the work I make. Recently, I’ve been thinking so much about body language and socially accepted codes of conduct. Crowds have been a poignant way to focus my attention on social behaviour since covid made it so charged to be in groups of people.
Since 2020, I’ve mainly worked with acrylic paint because I have been in temporary studios and have been conscious of using solvents at home. Acrylics have opened up new ways of working for me and I’m enjoying seeing what they can do. I always keep sketchbooks on the go - for research, collecting imagery, recording ways of working and organising ideas. It is important for me to keep my eye in with life-drawing as I often use figures in my paintings.
When Layla was around 7 months old I began thinking more about how mothers are presented in art and in society. I have been building up research since and once I have resolved my crowds series I want to dive into motherhood in art.
“Painting allows me to explore non-verbal communication, sensory processing and information sifting. I see painting as a way to filter thoughts and to have agency to make decisions. I want to be an active observer in the work I make.”
Ruth Batham in her Tottenham studio.
What does art/life balance look like for you? How do you balance your mothering work with your work as an artist, and how has the pandemic affected this balance?
I enjoy the discipline in being self-led as a painter and the freedom to follow what interests me. I can see how the balance ebbs and flows and, at the moment, I am making the most of having a good balance.
Before Layla, I was working 5 days in my studio and balancing teaching around this. It meant I had regular time for my practice and a fair amount of time taken up with planning, researching and delivering a range of art education sessions - from art clubs to teacher training.
When Covid hit, I lost my teaching work. It was during my pregnancy and it was a nervous time even though I had the financial support of my partner. I am extremely fortunate that, at the moment, I can be a mother to Layla and follow my art practice whilst my partner is the main income provider for our family.
I lost my studio space during the first lockdown, this meant having to be a bit more resourceful about when I could work. I relied on friends and family for generously offering me space. I was grateful to have somewhere to work but also was aware of the temporary nature of the spaces and not having full freedom to get messy! I do find it hard to fully switch off from mom duties on my studio day when I’m working in my bedroom and thinking I could just put a wash on, might as well clean up in the kitchen, say hi to Layla and my partner…on it goes! But I am very protective of having my work day and using it to paint.
“I have anecdotally come across prejudice about being an artist and mother from other painters. I find this sad but also motivating. If I can quietly continue painting and being a mom then I feel I’m, in a small way, proving people wrong that you can’t do both well.”
Have you come up against specific challenges as an artist and mother? What were they and how have you navigated these challenges?
Being an artist and mother is fairly new to me. Being able to call myself an artist was a personal challenge to start with. I think imposter syndrome is pretty common. In 2019, I was a painter at Turps Art School and being in that environment helped validate my practice.
I have anecdotally come across prejudice about being an artist and mother from other painters. I find this sad but also motivating. If I can quietly continue painting and being a mom then I feel I’m, in a small way, proving people wrong that you can’t do both well. I was surprised at the in-built prejudice that I carried before having Layla. I had thought I wouldn’t make work about motherhood. Then when I had her and the first emotionally-charged and complex year we had, I thought how could I not make work about it! Being a parent is a rich mine to tap when exploring the human condition. On the flip side, when I was on the painting course, I reached out to artist mothers at Turps and received lots of advice and encouragement. In a nutshell, there are barriers to presenting as a mom and artist but there are also plenty of forward-thinking practitioners and institutes promoting artist mothers. Finding Spilt Milk last year helped navigate away from negative connotations to be around peers empowering each other.
Float, Acrylic on Canvas, 30x42cm, 2021 (exhibited in a group show of collaborations between artists and poets)
What or who keeps you motivated, encourages and inspires you to keep making work?
I’m always thinking about painting; I enjoy the continual problem solving and feel excited by the potential in the studio. Painting can be a weird state: when the painting itself is not going well I can be raging quietly inside but the act of painting is the most enjoyable experience ever. There’s that (not often achieved!) sweet spot of total excitement and intense relaxed concentration. I enjoy the learning that takes place between paintings and I do enjoy how things come together.
There is always more subject matter to take in, process and paint. This never-ending abundance from my life and others’ lives inspires me to make. I feel like I’ve got decades worth of painting projects in my head! I find keeping up with other painters inspiring and an up-side of maternity leave was that I did get to see more in-person exhibitions than I normally can - Layla in tow!
How has the experience of motherhood impacted your practice on an emotional/intellectual level? Has it made you view yourself/your work differently? Are there things that influence your work now that you didn't think about before?
The experience of becoming a mother has impacted on my practice much more than I thought it might. Having had severe PND, I was unable to function and make work for months. Now, I am better, I see even more clearly the emotional drive to create and that I need to be somewhat selfish in carving time for my practice. It ultimately makes me a better mom as well as hopefully a better painter!
From an intellectual viewpoint, I have a new found fascination for the gap between what society portrays as ‘the ideal mother’ and what the realities are. I think there is so much rich material to explore here and it has made me view myself and how I relate to my work in a new light with a new identity. From some other people’s views I had thought being a parent could diminish my identity as a painter. Now I’m living the experience, I can see how being a parent will only add more complexity and deeper thought to my painting practice.
Out of... Acrylic on Paper, 42x60cm, 2020.
Ruth’s Tottenham studio.
“The experience of becoming a mother has impacted on my practice much more than I thought it might. Having had severe PND, I was unable to function and make work for months. Now, I am better, I see even more clearly the emotional drive to create and that I need to be somewhat selfish in carving time for my practice.”
What lessons are to be learned from the past couple of years, and how could post-pandemic society better support and value artists/mothers?
A small but very practical and impactful lesson from the pandemic for me has been accessibility to the art world. When lockdown meant any art talks, private views, exhibition tours had to be online, I found - as a new mom - that I could join in. I hope when things return more to in-person art events that there is still that opportunity for parent/artists to get involved digitally.
What drives you to continue to make work?
It is a privilege to extend my knowledge in wide and varied directions; my practice allows me to draw upon such different references to explore how people interact and communicate. It works well for me to research the human condition from all types of sources. Institutes like the Wellcome Collection to podcasts like Woman Up! to influences of other painters as well as reading - all this can fuel my art.
Anything else you would like to add?
Representation is so important. I would like to thank Spilt Milk for the work they do in making motherhoods visible. Art teaches me that nothing has to stay the same and that being able to change opinions and ideas is key for personal development. Being a new mom has forced many new opinions and ideas on myself and I’m grateful my art practice can be a space to explore these.
Ruth Batham, born in the Black Country, moved to London to study at Wimbledon School of Art. In 2019, she was an offsite painter at Turps Art School. Ruth's work combines a drawing and painting process with a background in Human Science. Having studied at UCL, she interrogated what it is to be human from a range of disciplines, such as Anatomy, History of Medicine and Anthropology. This alongside her role as an educator informs her painting practise. She has exhibited across London and has work in private collections.
Ruth’s drawing ‘Woman Doubled’ was exhibited as part of our 2021 online members show; acting balance[d]. You can hear Ruth give a short talk about her work by watching the recording of the exhibition opening.