After a car accident that left her paralysed from the chest down, Sophie Morgan, 21, decided to leave law studies and pursue her dreams of being an artist
How did you get into art?
Originally, I was going to study law, but after the accident, three years ago, I decided to change my plans to pursue art. I’d done art at school but I’d never planned to continue with it. I wanted to do something that I’d really enjoy. So I enrolled in the Foundation Art course in Brighton College of Art, which was amazing. I didn’t want to deal with something like law. I then applied to Goldsmiths Art College. I’d decided that if I didn’t get in, I wasn’t going to carry on. I set that as my goal. But I got in and I’m now in my first year.
What type of work do you do?
I do a bit of everything really. I’ve been painting with oils, photography, a bit of film. It’s great - you get to do whatever you want to do the whole way through the three-year course, and then decide what you want to do at the end. The course is nine to five every day, a mixture of lectures and seminars and the rest you’re left to get on in the studio. At the moment I really don’t know what I’m going to specialise in.
Where does your inspiration come from?
It’s all to do with disability. My own and other people’s. I want to try and change people’s perspectives. It’s not a common theme in art. I want to have an impact with my work. At the moment I’m in the early stages of working on my project for the end-of-term exhibition. I’m making mannequins. I’m making a wheelchair ‘Sophie’ Barbie, which I’m going to develop.
You exhibited your work last year with Georgina Coleman’s Fine Art Exhibition. How did you find that?
I really enjoyed it. I exhibited a mix of paintings, drawings and photographs. At the moment we’re planning another exhibition for the summer. Again I’ll probably be focusing on drawings and paintings, more ‘sellable’ than some of the stuff I’m working on at the moment, which is a lot more conceptual. I’m also registered on the Saatchi website. It’s really new. I saw it in the Guardian a few months ago and thought I should definitely be on it. It’s been great, I’ve had lots of feedback. It’s really, really good.
What’s your favourite medium?
I enjoy it all. Sometimes one thing is more successful than the other. I may enjoy painting more, but my work in photography might be better. I’m still figuring it all out. I’m most comfortable with drawing, which isn’t such a popular medium as it’s quite old school. I do a lot of portraits for people. I didn’t learn to draw at school, I just taught myself really. I always paint with oils. It takes some getting used to. I don’t use huge canvases as they’re quite hard to manipulate and also expensive. I tend to work on smaller ones.
What did you learn about yourself after the accident?
I think I learnt to focus on what I enjoy and to put priorities into place to make sure I achieve a lot – a lot more than I did before. I’m a lot more driven. I’ve also become a lot more tolerant and patient.
What do you get up to apart from art?
A lot of travelling. I’ve just got back from a week in Jamaica, where I was with friends and family. It was amazing weather, really nice. I also love going out to concerts and gigs. I just went to see Aim in Newcastle. Lots of different things like that!
