Closer x Pia Gynell-Jorgensen
One of the best things about running a small store like ours is that the space might be tiny — but the potential for connection is huge.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve been lucky enough to cross paths with Pia Gynell-Jorgensen, a local artist with impeccable taste in both music and visual work. What started as a casual encounter quickly turned into something more: mutual respect, shared inspiration, and now, collaboration.
We’ve just wrapped up a project with Pia to create a very limited run of custom slipmats. Something that bridges both sides of the Closer experience: music and art, function and feeling.
And of course, we couldn’t just release them without giving them a proper spin. So to celebrate, Pia and her longtime friend Brigitte will be joining us in-store on Saturday 8th November for a special session behind the decks.
If you're lucky, you might just walk out with a set of Slipmats for yourself.
But first, let’s learn a little more about Pia and the project.
Q. For those unfamiliar with you and your work, could you share a bit about your artistic background and the journey that has shaped your practice to date?
A. I'm a visual artist based on Kaurna land/Adelaide. I work largely in non-figurative oil paintings that are loosely inspired by personal themes or global affairs. The works are an intuitive balance of abstract mark making and fields of colour, each partnered with a poetic and sometimes strange title that serves to collect the viewers' mood, as the eye moves across the playful compositions.
Q. Could you tell us more about the piece you’ve contributed for these slipmats — its story, process, or significance to you?
A.The designs on these slip mats are details of two works I painted in 2024. It was the first time I’d used such a severe palette - I’d usually stuck to earthy tones. These works were dark, serious, and I found the high contrast really exciting. Using those colours, it felt like any design point I was trying to make would be yelled. The two paintings are called Every night when you fall asleep & time collapses, and I’ll get back to you as slowly as possible. Respectively, the works abstract ideas of time and how it moves through us. These works were exhibited as part of my show, I take time, & time nestles into my hip gladly like a tired child, at Backwoods Gallery (Vic). It seems fitting that these visual commentaries on our time have been made into slip mats that can be used to alter the timing of a record.
Q. In what ways does music influence your creative process or the themes you explore in your work?
A. I started working creatively as a freelance illustrator about 10 years ago, working on album artwork, festival branding and other projects in collaboration with musicians. Music has always been really important in my life and I’ve loved working to elevate the relationship between the visual and sonic arts. Music has also been a great inspiration to my personal practice over the years, and it’s usually the only external element of my painting process. Some songs or lyrics have even been the direct inspiration behind certain artworks.
Q. Are there any musicians, albums, or recent releases you’ve been especially drawn to lately — or that you’d like to spotlight?
A. I’ve been slowly making my way through Asha Puthli’s catalogue, which is so groovy and warm. Sade has also emerged in so many corners of my life recently, it’s hard not to be sucked further and further into that voice! Through one of her remixes I was lead to the extended works of Alexander Nut of Eglo records, which is a super fun collection of upbeat music. I’ve also been loving the funky, electronic blends of Benedek.
Q. You and your good friend Brigitte are set for an extended in-store session on November 8th. What can listeners expect?
A. Brigitte and I started playing together as Sink a few years ago and our collection spans an upwards slope from global synth to techno. On Nov 8th, you can expect melodic house grooves, upbeat jazz edits, and percussive dance music.
Q. Do you find that music or time spent DJing offers a kind of creative reset when you’re feeling stuck in the studio?
A. Absolutely, it’s a huge source of inspiration and it can really influence my mood, and therefore my work. As a person who cherishes music, djing also feels like a way that I can contribute to that creative scene, where my energy is otherwise spent practicing visual art.
Much Love to you Pia, and thank you again for all your hard work on this project!
If you would like to get your hands on a set of these exclusive slipmats come on down and hang on Saturday the 8th of November. Everyone is welcome!
Photography: r.Cantwell