Interview

MCCARTNEY: It’s rare that someone paints in celebration of the fashion industry without there being some kind of underlying negativity. I’m coming back to Lara because she has these fantastic breasts. A lot of designers don’t use her because she is too big for them. For me, I want to celebrate Lara. I’m like, “Put her in the tightest dress and get her down there.” She’s more of an editorial model than a runway model. But the fact that she comes across as awkward is a lot sexier to me. She’s about as sexy as it gets.

JOFFE: Yeah.

MCCARTNEY: You and I both live in Britain, and are of a certain generation that has seen the whole Brit-art thing happen. During that time, painting almost seemed to get lost along the way. But you are a real painter. Have you always only painted in your specific style?

JOFFE: Yes. [laughs] I went to Glasgow School of Art in 1988 because they still had figure painting, where you painted from life. I suppose all along all I ever really wanted to do was paint people. That never changed.

MCCARTNEY: You’ve painted all three of my children, and those pieces are exquisite.

JOFFE: I’m almost weeping when I’m painting my daughter. I’ve been thinking she won’t be little for much longer.

MCCARTNEY: When are you going to New York?

JOFFE: The show is in May, but I have to leave a long time before that because I’m going by boat. I don’t fly. [McCartney gasps] It makes me feel really immobile but great.

MCCARTNEY: Wow, you and David Bowie. What do you mean, you don’t fly? Why don’t you fly? Is that for environmental reasons?

JOFFE: I wish it were.

MCCARTNEY: Is it because you’re scared of flying?

JOFFE: Yeah, that’s the sad, true reason. So we go by boat, which isn’t bad.

MCCARTNEY: Do you go on the QE2 or something?

JOFFE: The Queen Mary 2 now—it takes six days. I went on a freighter before, but my daughter’s not allowed to ride on those. I get quite seasick. I mean . . . [laughs] It’s not that great.

MCCARTNEY: Well, I love your paintings. I have them hanging in my shop. They fit perfectly. It’s really difficult to choose art when you start your business.

JOFFE: I can imagine. You had a really wonderful backdrop for your last show.

MCCARTNEY: That was a Sam Taylor-Wood photograph, and Dino Chapman painted in the sky. It was very last-minute. I called up Sam and said, “Can I use one of your photos?” She said, “Yep.” So I called up Dino and said, “Could you fuck it up a bit?” He said, “Yep.” I’m very lucky, actually. I might call you up one day. How long would it take you to paint a backdrop for me?

JOFFE: Quite some time at that size.

MCCARTNEY: Then I’ll call you up for Spring/Summer 2020. You can start working on it now.

JOFFE: It struck me when I came over to your house that you have three children. Really, women and children are my main subjects. But I was amazed that you do what you do and raise three kids.

MCCARTNEY: It’s not a feminist issue. It’s pretty extraordinary for any human being to work and have three kids under the age of 5.

JOFFE: But when I was there, it struck me that it is a feminist thing—women’s lives are so elaborately complicated.

MCCARTNEY: And yet you paint these lovely, young women who just come across as perfection. You paint perfection sometimes, don’t you? When you think of fashion photography, it’s a dream. It’s like we all want to be those women. We want to wear those dresses.

JOFFE: I don’t think I do want to be them. I’m fascinated to imagine what their lives are like, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be them.

MCCARTNEY: I don’t think their lives are anywhere near as glamorous as you think.

JOFFE: It just fascinates me to be only 18 and to have that life.

MCCARTNEY: Eighteen! They’re old if they’re 18 in this day and age.

JOFFE: Right. But still I’m interested in the sheer fascination of beauty—beauty is fascinating.

Stella McCartney is a U.K.–based fashion designer.

View more work at the Saatchi Gallery Web site.