ALI STEVENTON..CHARLOTTE SMITH..ANGELA COPE..PRECIOUS INNES..MADELINE PARSONS
Ali Steventon Artists Statement
As a painter I am interested in human nature and I am constantly drawn to the human condition in order to connect the viewer with the person or situation portrayed. I attempt to create empathy and an understanding. In addition to this, more recently I have been creating works that are far more removed from reality, trying to relax my painting style and allow a painting to be interpreted by the ‘viewers’ eye space’. This work is far more experimental, playing with narrative, ambiguity, and a sense of place (a feeling of ‘the other’). There is something very timeless that is emerging and this is a theme I want to develop further this year. My aim is to achieve a slightly unsettling feeling of an alternate being. I am enjoying the process of painting, and the serendipity of abstract marks. Introducing a pareidolia to the creative process, has allowed me to respond by constructed representational images laid over narrative elements. |
Charlotte Smith Artist’s Statement
Earlier in my course I took part in a collaborative exhibition, called ‘behind closed doors: personal confessions,’ where I decided to work with the theme of revealing personal information about a medical condition affecting the joints in my body. To express this idea, I used elastic bands as a physical representation of the joints/muscles in the body and suspended images just by using the tension of the elastic to hold the image in the exhibition space. Recently I have become more focused on the geometric form, and wish to continue creating abstract pieces to give the viewer their own interpretation on my work. Being more indirect and ‘suggestive’, I am attempting to invoke a viewer’s personal response. I also work with the surrounding space and architecture, taking elements from derelict buildings in order to inspire and transform the neglected aspects. My work can be quite complex. |
Angela Cope Artist’s Statement
My work is underpinned by a nostalgic affiliation to place and time, and my interest in psychology and interpersonal relationships. I like to photograph things that catch my eye, then process the images down to the bare minimum, taking out background, detail and sometimes colour, until I am left with basic shapes, in block colours or monochrome. I then use the image to create a painting, the emphasis being on producing a smooth, flat, shiny finish. My paintings combine nostalgia with abstraction. The stark, rationalised images speak in a harsh abstract language that is at odds with the cliché of nostalgia. My chosen medium for these works was household gloss paint, because it is highly reflective and I like the glossy pool-like finish that can be achieved. There is a reductive quality in my work, through filtering, sanding and painting. My references include Sigmund Freud and painter Gary Hume. |
Precious Innes Artist’s Statement
My current practice explores process and fragility in materials such as paper. I am interested in the failure and the control I have within these works. I create large ‘vulnerable’ sculptures and exploit its structure and aesthetic. I use sodden paper draped on objects and armatures to shape the form (the only physical interaction I have with the sculpture). I then flush with dilutes such as inks and watercolour paints to distort and bring the paper to its breaking point. I am working through an experimental part of my practice, testing out materials and substances such as clay, copper sulphate- and various dilutions. Water resistant materials, temperatures and atmospheric conditions form part of the process. I am not sure where my work will lead but that is maybe more interesting. |
Madeline Parsons Artist’s Statement
My art practice involves working in different media, with a main focus on painting, drawing and small sculptures. I am interested in the use of colour, animals, plants and the female figure and I am trying to build up my own personal language using the symbolism. I explore a range of media and drawing styles with a focus on those which give scope for fine detail within my work, such as pen and acrylic. Colour is also important to express life and emotion with reference to aspects of femininity, nature and personal symbolism. My sketching is a continual process and I carry small sketchbooks on my travels. Interested in the relationship with landscape, I try and link this to metaphorically human psychology. I often place figures within an abstract fictional landscape and move towards imaginative, dreamlike, surreal spaces. |