Ey Up Josephine Flynn

Ey Up with Harry Meadley

I don’t really remember when I first met Josie; but I do remember getting to know her whilst I was on my degree at Leeds Met. As far as I could tell she was the only properly practicing artist who had come out of that course and stayed in the city, and as you will hear repeatedly, her f**k you attitude was nothing short of an inspiration. I had been running a little gallery out of my locker in the art building corridor and remember requesting to show a work I believe she exhibited in New Contemporaries – a work that was her official Leeds Met graduation photograph in which she is joyfully holding her diploma with heavily bandaged hands. To this day I still think it is one of the best art school artworks ever made.
As you might have already guessed, I’m a massive fan of her work; though in recent years she has gone a bit quieter. I really wanted to catch up with her and see how she feels about things now she has taken a step back from the commercial gallery circuit - and as always, it was a total pleasure.