Crit#4, @University of the Arts London Hub, 4 February 2009
February 13th 2009.
BA Fine Art, University of the Arts
The film ‘Opera Phantom’ is an experimental work in progress. It asks questions about choices that I find the most important for creators to ask themselves. The film has no narrative. Its structure is formed by ongoing opposition and conflicts between easiness of stereotypical thinking and independent, brave, oppositional decisions, represented by various acts of creation, both three- and two-dimensional. ‘Opera Phantom’ shows myself making a self-portrait. During the process all the conflicts take place and the oppositional sides fight for their rights. ‘Opera Phantom’ expresses my current state of mind and asks questions that nurture me. I attempt to use this artwork for meditation about myself and about art. Through hard work on exploring different techniques and the overwhelming variety of forms of expression I seek a certain catharsis, I want to deepen my understanding of my own creativity.
Graduate BA Fine Art, Goldsmiths College
My work revolves around study and exploration of architectural spaces and gallery spaces in particular, using a mixture of media from photography to sculptural installation. I am interested in how making site-specific works can draw attention to the unnoticed elements in our everyday lives, or to make the viewer consider the importance of the space they inhabit. The capturing of the flow of light within the space, the true essence of photography, is of particular interest and I frequently translate or recreate this in other mediums. My use of scale and repetition add further layers of contemplation, exploration, concept and conceit.
MA Painting, Slade School of Fine Art
These paintings embody the delight and rebellion of contemporary painting they challenge expectations of what painting should be about. The work abhors the sweet and the prosaic this is ‘unruly girl work’, let there be no mistake, they insist on having a wildly good time. These works contains ‘personally imagined imagery’ collected from different cultures, eras and themes, memories of a childhood set in the Caribbean, Saudi Arabia and England offer images from many differing cultures. I have a magpie sensibility when it comes to the everyday, playfully borrowing and stealing images, colours and materials. A childlike theme runs throughout the work, which is evidenced through the application and colours of the paint. Waterfalls of oozing glossy paint cascades over flat crisp slabs of colour. Paint is dollopped, scribbled, poured, smudged and dragged. The deliberate ‘bad-handling’ of certain areas can be set against cool crisp areas.
This year I have been exploring the way in which we process images, and how we deal with the masses of visual information that come our way these days. My current project involves filming moments from my day to day life and adding layers to them. The layering process begins with transcribing and subtitling the films. I may then watch the film back, and either write or record what comes into my head. The next stage is to watch or listen to these recordings and comment on them. I have started to experiment with different ways of involving other people in the work, allowing them to contribute their instinctive responses to my work. At the moment I am making a series of interactive performances based around writing. I write, and I invite my audience to write in response.
BA Fine Art, Goldsmiths College
My work contains discrete observations of small quiet moments, which are amplified by my focusing on them. I am interested in what happens when this is viewed and observed and responded to by others, and in turn, what happens when it is presented as a piece of art work. How this noticing and recording of everyday moments can evoke other things.
BA Fine Art- Studio Practice and contemporary critical studies Goldsmiths College
Poetics, illusion, space, scale, metamorphosis, intuition an imagination are my guiding forces.
I desire through my process to always question the truth about objects be it material or immaterial. Art and fragility balance one another on a fine never ending line of existence. The purpose of my exploration and discovery is through exploration of the self. Examining my own predicament then becomes insignificant. On Observing my situation; story, dream, ideology or religion. I intend the spectator to reflect and to relate this to their own situation. Humanity and sensitivity are the most important parts of my artworks. We are mere tiny dots in the universe but each dot shines light in the cosmos. The essence of creating my works is to lose my ego and doubt and doubt again the meaning and purpose.
BA Fine Art, Slade School of Fine Art
My artwork is about beauty, and I am particularly interested in geometric shapes and colour. The abstract images of my artwork are very simple, such as combination of lines and colour. In addition, I love the nature of paint, like density and transparency of colour and fluidity of paint, so that brush marks are rarely seen on my paintings.
Interestingly, the combination of colourful lines sometimes creates an optical illusion. They might irritate you when you look at them for a long time, but at the same time, you might feel happiness, cheerfulness and enjoyment when you see a certain colour combination. I also enjoy painting sharp lines. Sharpness of lines is quite important in my artwork. Surprisingly, it helps the colour and texture of background images stand out. I enjoy the contrast between soft background images and sharp geometric lines.