Ephemerality
Acrylic on Canvas board with a hand-etched perspex overlay.
An experimental work combining painting and etched Perspex.
Cordelia-Metamorphosis
Oil on Canvas board
The work draws upon historical visual troupes surrounding the female nude yet has a contemporary sensibility. I have sought to celebrate the sensuality and beauty of the female form without eroticising and sexually objectifying it. The amorphous turbulent, cloudscape of the background creates a slightly ominous atmosphere and a sense of theatricality. The evocation of this state of flux coupled with the meditative facial expression reflects the intrapersonal evolution and metamorphosis of the sitter. Her nudity and bodily position metaphorically exemplify the exposedness and vulnerability which accompany liminal, transitory states.
Vanitas
Oil on Canvas board
Drawing upon established Flemish still life traditions and symbolism, the work examines the essentially vacuous nature of material acquisition in light of the transience of human existence.
The Beauty of the Uncanny
Acrylic on Canvas board
This piece employs the visual language of collage to juxtapose botanical imagery with elements of the female form. The motivations behind the work were predominantly aesthetic. I endeavoured to adopt a somewhat surrealistic mindset and embrace serendipitous encounters with the uncanny when formulating the composition rather than having a cohesive conceptual vision for the work at the outset.
However, the finished piece encourages the viewer to contemplate the ephemerality and transience of beauty and the finite nature of existence. It also questions perceptions of beauty and what separates the natural from the artificial.
Memory
Oil on Canvas board
The work explores notions of intimacy and remembrance. The use of blue denotes the process of recollection as one of active reconstruction. It exists in a cerebral realm distinct from corporeal reality, yet ever encroaching upon it.
Illumination
Acrylic on Canvas board
A contemporary reinterpretation of a baroque aesthetic and chiaroscuro technique.
Circe
Acrylic on Canvas board
The work depicts the enchantress Circe from ancient Greek mythology. Circe (known in Greek as Κίρκη “falcon”) transformed her enemies, or those who offended her, into animals through the use of magical potions. In Homer’s Odyssey she invited Odysseus’ crew to a feast in which the food was laced with one of her magical potions, and turned them all into pigs with a wand after they had consumed it. Only by refusing to succumb to Circe’s charms does Odysseus manage to free his men and embark upon his homeward voyage.
Circe anthropomorphically exemplifies the difficulties human beings face in their lives which have the potential to detrimentally impact upon how they develop as individuals but which can ultimately be overcome if a sense of self and ones purpose is maintained.
I also attempted to make my piece relevant to the 21st century by imbuing it with a contemporary aesthetic somewhat reminiscent of a fashion shoot or magazine cover. The portrait form and vibrant red lips evoke the seductive models and actress who today’s media portrays as epitomizing the feminine ideal. Hence, my Circe also symbolizes the influence of the media upon all who are exposed to it. Much like the powerful sorceress, the media has the capacity to utterly transform the manner in which individuals perceive themselves and the world around them and can be an incredibly destructive force. I used the image of the falcon, with which she is affiliated due to her name and character, in her earring as I felt that the use of a bird of prey emphasized this.
Bud, Bloom and Decay
Acrylic on paper
Daphne
Acrylic and Metal leaf on Paper
The work engages with classical Greek mythology to explore contemporary feminist concerns encompassing sexual harassment, objectification and oppression. According to Greek myth, Daphne prays to the ancestral mother goddess Gaia for assistance in order to escape the lascivious intentions of the God Apollo who intends to rape her and is subsequently transformed into a laurel tree. I chose to depict Daphne’s metamorphosis as I feel it metaphorically exemplifies the manner in which women often feel forced to suppress or alter aspects of their identities to gain acceptance or ensure their safety within patriarchal societies. The hands supporting the root ball and boulders at the bottom of the piece are those of Gaia who comes to Daphne’s aid in a powerful act of inter-generational female solidarity.