Photography via 16Arlington, Melissa Castro-Duarte & Beth Saunders | Interview by Josh Barrow
Known for his bold metal sculptures and site-specific installations, Jesse Pollock draws heavily from his rural upbringing and the unique character of British heritage, crafting works that feel both intimate and universally resonant.
His themes of natural beauty, such as flowers, are often juxtaposed with the raw materials and uniquely unpolished finishes that define his work. We first discovered Jesse through a network of established artists, each working across different mediums, who promote and support one another through their personal platforms and mutual connections within the UK art scene. What we saw led us to wanting to find out a little more about the inspiration behind his art, the techniques he employs to transform everyday materials into extraordinary forms, and his reflections on the evolving role of art in a rapidly changing world.
How did your journey as an artist begin? Was there a defining moment or influence that led you down that path?
So I grew up skateboarding and like it does for every kid, it exposed me to so much creativity. I remember coming across Mark Gonzales and seeing his art and thinking, ‘I want that!’ Also, UK brands like Heroin Skateboards; I loved the graphics Fos made. Growing up in Kent you couldn’t not admire Craig Scott and Dan Singer’s ROADKILL zine.
I wouldn’t say there was a defining moment, just lots of experiences and just following my nose. I went to UCA Rochester for college and then ended up studying Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts, UAL. I had that thing or question I think a lot of working class creative teens have: how am I gonna make money? I figured illustration can be commercial enough and would silence any questions or doubts me or anyone else had.
In the end though, I barely did any illustration. It was a great course; they really broadened the term ‘illustration’, I found myself in ceramics and 3D workshops. By third year, I was making sculpture and that’s that.
What are the recurring themes or elements in your work, and what draws you to them?
Nostalgia has been a running theme within my work. It’s the whole rose-tinted view on the past people create and how powerful it can be. It’s a bit like picking and choosing your own history. What draws me to it is how I am guilty of it too.
I look at the human existence and the current climate, and I can’t help but feel a darkening over the world, a dystopian gaze as technology wows and scares. The world’s getting greasier by the day. I try and find glimmers of light or humour in the contradictions of life and human hypocrisy. I like the in between, the limbo state. I want my works to push and pull all at the same time. I think of sculpture as an oxymoron, constantly cancelling itself out, just like our reality—we search and search for the meaning of everything, we name everything, we destroy and preserve constantly. We don’t know why; we just do, desperately.
How do you hope people feel or think when they view your work? Is there a message or emotion you strive to communicate?
To begin with I find a contradiction or a feeling, an issue in society which I then find in myself. I like to become the spectator and the participant. Ultimately, I just want to be honest with myself, then the work can be honest, allowing the viewer the chance to also be honest with themselves.
Could you share a bit about your creative process? How do you typically approach a new piece?
It’s always reactive from the last piece. I’ve always followed the work, it’s almost perpetual. I’ve been drawing a lot more in the last couple years; before I used to have an idea in my head and let it all come together in the making, less designing, I hate the work to feel contrived, it must exist for its own sake. If it’s a new piece I do a small drawing, usually on the wall of the studio, more of a silhouette for form and convincing. But it’s the physical act of ‘making’ which is important, the drawing is forgotten.
Are there any unique materials or techniques you enjoy experimenting with most?
Currently I’m just working in aluminium. I’ve been melting down scrap ally and sand-casting, welding and plasma cutting to create all my recent works. I’ll either make a positive to sand-cast from, either out of clay or epoxy clay, or I’ll imprint the sand directly. Recently, I’ve been using my own teeth bites to create texture.
Aluminium is a great material—it’s so light, it has such odd properties when heating, almost like mash potato before its molten liquid. It’s freed up my practice massively in the last two years.
Your work varies a fair bit in size. Do you prefer working on small pieces or larger pieces? And is placing/finding homes for larger pieces of work hard?
My favourite scale are pieces around my height; they just have that physical presence to them. I like the fact that they are hard work to make but can also be made quick enough that it doesn’t become a bore. I have made some really large works and I do love making them, but it’s just a whole different mind-set. You have to think about how safe structurally the sculpture is, how you’re going to move it, and all that stuff can be stressful and complicated. However, the outcome for large works is so much more satisfying.
You were recently commissioned to do some pieces for a 16 Arlington show. How did that come about? Can you tell us a little bit about the pieces you made for them?
It came about in the best way, just how things align and figure themselves out, by chance! An old uni friend, Tilly Mercer, runs a gardening design business and had the task to curate 16 Arlington Director Marco Capaldo’s garden. I was asked to make a sculptural bench for it, he then saw my flower pieces and they were almost identical to a floral sequin design that he had been working on. Talking further, Marco’s contextual ideas really resonated with mine—this pleasant surface with a sinister underbelly. So I made three standing flowers at 400cm, 300cm and 200cm, which were installed at The Royal Academy for the 16 Arlington SS25 runway show. I also made wearable wrist cuff pieces; probably the smallest works but the hardest challenge I’ve made so far.
Do you have any specific upcoming projects, shows or collaborations?
I’ve just finished a small edition of flower works that will be available with Well Projects who are based in Margate. I had my solo show with them earlier in the year, titled ‘WILT’. It was a lovely process, start to finish.
In the new year, I’m going to be included in a show about flowers in art and culture at the Saatchi Gallery.
Which, if any, artists, trends, movements, or experiences inspire your style and work?
An artist that I really admire is Anselm Kiefer—the dedication to the work is inspiring, how so much goes back into the work to keep on. La Ribaute in Barjac, South of France, is the evidence of sheer will and belief in the work. I really believe that the energy you gain from completing an artwork or exhibition should be put straight back into the next piece, pushing your practice forward and progressing.
What does a typical day look like for you when you’re not in the studio?
There’s always a dog walk in the morning for Dolly, my springer spaniel. Me and my partner Melloney got ourselves some little 100cc motorcycles. That’s always a distraction, when they’re running, we’ll go green-laning around the Kent downs. But whenever we get the chance, we’ll shoot down to Cornwall!
What work do you have on show out in the world right now?
Currently the only work on show is The Granary, a large piece originally commissioned for Bold Tendencies* in Peckham in 2021. Since then, for the past three years, it has been on show at Sculpture in the City. It’s right by the Gherkin on Cunard Place. You can’t miss it!
*Bold Tendencies, is a South London not-for-profit arts organisation, which operates in the rooftop spaces of Peckham Multi-Storey Car Park. Since 2007, it has transformed this disused site into an experimental civic space and popular gathering spot, promoting free public space, participation in its vibrant programme, and open access to its unique setting.
