Introducing Polydeus

135 artists are taking part in "Inside Job" which takes place on the 7th and 8th of April on Level 6 of Tate Modern. Over the next few weeks The Rebel Magazine will be chatting to some of the Tate staff who are showing their artwork. Today it's the turn of Team Polydeus

Q) Where did you grow up and what kind of education did you receive? I grew up in south east London and I still live there now. I studied fashion at Central Saint Martins, and went on to form my first partnership and fashion label “Baby!”.This lasted for 10 years."

Q) How long have you been working at the Tate and what's the best show you've seen there? I have worked at the Tate about 12 years. My favorite exhibitions to date have been Fiona Banner’s “Harrier and Jaguar” alongside Mike Nelson’s “The Coral Reef”.

Q) What can you tell me about the work you're exhibiting in the Tate Modern show? 3 years ago, I partnered up with a long term family friend, Harry Palmer, who always mentioned that I should put my designs and artwork to use, and I did not want to let my fashion background to go to waste. So we formed Polydeus​ a project that would take inspiration from the future, while referencing images, themes and movies from the past that have stayed with us from children through to adulthood. After a long process we decided that the best medium to do this would be screen printing. This would be a new discipline for both of us as the technique was a new skill for me and a long way from the web design talents of Harry. Borrowing a printing carousel, exposure unit and a box of frames and inks, we set about teaching ourselves the art of screen printing. The journey was a long one and there were many mistakes and rejects on the way but we persevered and finally we were producing prints that we were very proud of. We both found the process very rewarding. We have been producing hand printed t-shirts for almost a year now but our next step was always to produce individual handmade clothing and garments as well as exploring different mediums to expand the world which is “Polydeus".

After showcasing our work “ The King “, at the recent 4:42 Exhibition with a hand printed t-shirt and our first graphic novel, we decided to approach this exhibition differently and produce something new. Our exhibit, will feature a handmade jacket, using the skills and techniques I have learnt over the years. The jacket will have a lining comprising of printed silk featuring scenes from a short animation that will be available to view at the exhibition using your mobile phone. The animated short will introduce a character called Dot, a woman fighting to survive in a post apocalyptic world. From our appearance at “Inside Job”, we would like to show that art does not have to be restricted to the usual mediums of paint and canvas, sculpture and other traditional forms. By using the artwork in the form of the printed lining as part of the jacket’s design, it can be mobile, allowing the wearer to take the art to the masses without the restrictions of being exhibited within the confines of a gallery space."

Q) How can people find out more about your work - do you have a website or do Instagram? "We do. Our handmade printed t-shirts can be found at our website www.polydeus.com, and you can follow us on facebook, instagram and youtube. Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/polydeus_london/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ccaePsOO5bC6RO85vUf6Q https://youtu.be/knew6fdtXR4 Q) Is there anything you have to declare / do you have a favourite quote, thought or joke you'd care to share? “Embrace the future, reference the past”

"Inside Job": An exhibition of art by Tate Staff will take place on Level 6 of the Blavatnik Building of Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern