Stone Speaks with Artist, Francis Augusto
"Existing is our art and when we are creating, we are at our happiest, most content, and most brave way of being"
Moving Mountains is a newsletter about the exploration and experience of expression, through the lens of art, science, and nature. Bi-monthly invitations & dialogues are focused on helping us tap into our creative process, no matter our medium. Paid subscribers help to make this work blossom, thank you for being here.
I.
You enter Greece as one might
enter a dark crystal; the form
of things becomes irregular,
refracted. Mirages suddenly
swallow islands, and wherever
you look the trembling curtain
of the atmosphere deceives.
Francis Augusto is a rare bird. He is the first person I have ever met, whose natural disposition I would describe as, jolly. We crossed paths briefly, about a year ago in the heat of greek summer, set amidst the bare rocky formations of Hydra.
Some call this place, an island of longing. Winding cobblestone paths, a sparkling blue harbor lined with ornately decorated donkeys, Hydra is a magical place. Like myself the year prior, Francis was participating in an artist residency program that aims to help artists question and explore their creative process.
Throughout our dialogue, we traverse the waves of creative practice and process, navigating the lulls, and keeping our multi-dimensional selves nourished and nurtured by community.
Speaking of community, as I was preparing to speak with Francis, I was reading a new favorite substack, written by artist and educator, Anna Brones. I loved her most recent post The best creative constraints are the oblique ones - Definitely dig in there, it’s fun, weird, and wild.
For more on Francis & his work please check out the below links & happy almost solar eclipse, (it’s tomorrow!).
Photo: Giles Smith
Born in Angola, Francis Augusto is a London-based artist. He moved to London at six with his mother and older brother Harvey as asylum seekers from the civil war. Inspired by his upbringing and sociology degree, Francis' practice takes an observational method of image-making, candidly chronicling facets of everyday life. He captures the moments that make us human.
His works primarily centre on the themes of interaction, mundanity, and joy while adopting an ethnographic approach. Francis looks to invite the viewer into the scene, creating an intimate familiarity with the people, place, or story captured. This approach is easily identifiable in the intimacy of his artworks and commercial work.
Francis also lectures, mentors & critiques work.
If you are interested in learning more about Francis’s work, you can find his art here:
website: https://www.francisaugusto.co.uk
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franxisaugusto/