Preparatory sketches
Preparatory sketches using a piece from Sketchfab as a reference for my sketches to get different angles to prepare for my anatomical heart sculpture created as part of an exploration into the human anatomy.
Materials used: graphite pencil.
Preparatory paintings
Loose paintings I did, experimenting with different mediums and testing out the colours to see how it would look in comparison to a 3d format in a clay sculpture.
Materials used: acrylic.
Analysis of work
Sketchbook page analysing and discussing the process of sculpting and making the piece as well as the motives behind the piece.
Materials used: posca pen, felt tip.
Human heart
Taking inspiration from previous artists I looked at I wanted to further explore themes of being human and what that means, starting with the human anatomy. In creating a heart, using deep saturated red hues I wanted to explore themes of life, mortality, love and imperfection, taking inspiration the Japanese method of Kintsugi, embracing flaws and imperfections with the gold running through the cracked clay.
Date: May, 2023
Materials used: Air dry clay, acrylic, hot glue gun.
Heart painting
Piece I’d started while completing my art GCSE that I completed shortly after the heart sculpture. Taking inspiration from a vital organ of the human body. It keeps us going, both literally and figurately, the heart a symbol of humanity, such involves love, connection, passion, energy.
Date: June, 2022
Dimensions: 59cm x 41cm
Materials used: Acrylic.
The picture of Dorian Gray
Piece I did after reading the classic novel by Oscar Wilde. I wanted to recreate the painting featured in the book. Investigating themes of humanity, morality and mortality. Painting a total of five paintings beneath this final layer, recreating the slow descend into immorality and sin seen in the book as the portrait begins to look more sinister, grotesque, inhuman. I added the slashes through the painting, inspired by the events of the book in which Dorian stabs the painting, which in turn ends in his own death.
I think the act of stitching the wounds of the canvas back together is not only a nod to Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein that deals with similar themes of morality and ethics but also symbolically in the way it shows that despite the efforts made to destroy the sin, to purge the immorality, the wound is still there. Death lingers around Dorian as does around this piece. The dark red hues extending beyond the frame showing the extent of his sin, it represents mortality, the violence, the darkest side of humanity.
Date: January, 2023
Dimensions: 60cm x 90cm
Materials used: Acrylic, wooden frame, embroidery thread
Experiments
To the left a quick experiment done using images of blood cells under an electron microscope as a reference, further investigation into the human anatomy, going deeper than the skin, the internal organs into a cellular level. To the right shows a page analysing a series of pieces I did inspired by the 19th century illustrations of German neuroanatomist Otto Friedrich Karl Deiters of nerve cells that I became fascinated with.
Materials used: (left) Crayon, graphite stick, (right) acrylic, straw to create the abstract shapes seen.)
Further investigation into human anatomy
The left image is a piece I created as a researched into the exhibition I’d looked into Called Body Worlds, led by German anatomist Gunther Von Hagens who created a biological preservation method called plastination. (read more about the exhibit here). I was fascinated by the way he allowed viewers to look beneath the surface of the human figure, revealing muscle and fat tissue among other bodily structures that lie beneath the skin. To the right I created quick sketches of neurons, using Dieters’, (mentioned left) work as a reference.
Materials used: colouring pencil, pencil.
Here I was asked to imagine where I would place my work. I used one of the pieces previously created inspired by nerve cells and placed it in the location of a book cover. Scouring the internet for books that discuss the overlap between art and science, something that fascinates me and think would be an appropriate location for the piece considering the subject of the piece capturing this overlap between fields of study. I went for a monochromatic design as not to distract from the work featured to keep the design simple yet effective in catching the attention of those that would be browsing for books.
Date: June 2023.
Materials used: Photoshop.
Human body sculpture
Piece I created from several different elements that I brought together. First I created the heart sculpture, then I created the sculpture replicating the nerves and muscle tissue saw in the plastination process in the Body Worlds exhibition. I wanted to represent the human body beneath the skin. The lobster traps I came across later on then decided to incorporate all of the elements into this as a way to present the pieces in an interesting way. With the brown and red hues with the corrugated bits of rusty metal and lobster cages I wanted to contrast the idea of industrialization and mechanical elements with the bright hues of the human body. The contrast between the man and the manmade. While looking at the piece I want viewers to contemplate on what they think it means to be human, their own bodies and the way they interact with the world around them.
Date: July, 2023
Dimensions: 142cm (Height) x 45cm (width)
Materials used: String, Rusty metal parts, lobster cage, felting wool, acrylic, gel pen, graphite pencil, wood, embroidery thread, cling film.
Sketchbook page
Discussing the process and analysis of the piece created to the left.
Sketchbook pages
Analysis of pieces creates and discussion of design process.
Materials used: posca pen.
Decay
Painting I created inspired by the album cover Remnants of the Vessel by the doom metal band Faetooth (see here.) I took inspiration from the haunting melancholic atmosphere of the album and the subject matter of the album cover. Using dark, earthy hues and to create this piece, I interpreted the cover art as a piece surrounding themes of mortality, decay, rebirth, the cycles of nature that I had in mind when creating this painting featuring rich ripe fruits, at its peak, before its inevitable decay. Fungus, an organism that feeds off decaying material. The dark background emphasizing the hues of the fruit in the foreground. Both the fig and the pomegranate featured symbolic of this cycle of life and death. The pomegranate an image I come back to in my work several times.
Date: November, 2023
Dimensions: 30cm x 40 cm
materials used: Acrylic.
Sacrifice
This piece surrounds themes of sacrifice and identity in relation to my overarching theme of being human. I’m experimenting with incorporating words into my paintings as a way to emphasis the ideas I’m trying to convey. The text says ‘I sacrificed my identity for a society that told me I had to conform’. In this piece I wanted to demonstrate the struggles of conformity and societal pressure. It conveys a struggle in discovery of our identity and self expression drawing from my own personal experience as a queer and neurodivergent individual. The candles symbolically linked to both witchcraft and religious sacrifice. I wanted to allude to these images of sacrifice, gruesome, violent often. The red hues distorted and blurred across the anonymous face suggesting a brutality in the loss of identity. I lit these candles that I melted onto the canvas, an alter, a ceremonial ritual of sorts. Perhaps to symbolise a loss, or perhaps to commemorate a growth, a discovery in who I was.
Untitled
I wanted to depict the human figure in a way that I don’t typically choose, a man is crouching in a foetal position. The vulnerability in such a position inspired by the painting ‘George Dyer’ (1966) by Francis Bacon I’d looked at in my previous research into his work. The colour pink continuing this idea of fragility, the man depicted here surrounded by a darkness suggests a feeling of being trapped, by his own thoughts, by external factors, it’s unclear. I ask viewers to interpret it however they wish in regards to the reasoning behind the man’s distress.
Date: July, 2023.
Dimensions: 42cm x 59cm
Materials used: acrylic, charcoal, graphite pencil.
Connected
I wanted to go back to the roots of my theme of being human, I wanted to explore the simple things of being human. This being connection, community, love. I think that its important to discuss and depict the importance of community and connection in an era that is more isolated from each other than ever. In a capitalist society there is a disconnect between individuals, aimed to create isolation as opposed to community. This is important in a time of so many issues, be that gender inequality, racism, environmental issues or class struggles, unity is something that should be of the highest importance. Together, united, society can come together to build a better future.
Date: July, 2023
Dimensions: 40cm x 50cm.
Materials used: 6B pencil, posca pens.
Untitled
I created this piece after being inspired by the intricate brushwork by contemporary artist Roberta Boffo using a dry brush and stippling technique.
Date: March, 2023
Dimensions: 15cm x 20cm
Materials used: Acrylic
Untitled
Experiment done on a small canvas as an investigation into texture and colour, incorporating the candle as a way of expanding on the themes in my piece ‘Sacrifice’.
Date: August, 2023.
Dimensions: 20cm x 20cm
Materials used: wax, candle, tape, acrylic.
Expanding on the concept of loss of identity as I incorporate the phrase ‘I don’t know who I am anymore’ into the bottom canvas as I glued two canvases together to capture a sense of depth in the piece. The top canvas burnt as if to reveal the message beneath. As if a sudden realization, realization that who you are has morphed and changed. Everything and everyone changing and influencing who you are. The red hues and candle yet again symbolizing a destructive sacrifice, a loss of self.
Date: August, 2023.
Dimensions: 20cm x 20cm
Materials used: wax, candle, gel pen, acrylic.
Triptych I painted, inspired by imagery of flesh as I continued to explore the human form. I also drew inspiration from the colours of pomegranates, using an impasto technique to create the deep blood-red hues, the white flesh of the fruit. The fruit symbolic of fertility and feminine beauty, sacred to Greek goddess of love and war Aphrodite, it was also known as the “fruit of the dead” in Greek myth hence the title of this piece.
Date: September, 2023
Dimensions: 10cm in diameter
Materials used: Acrylic
3 Pomegranates
Here I wanted to return back to the imagery of the pomegranate, playing with composition featuring 3 pomegranates not only for aesthetic reasons, but also because it is said to symbolize wholeness, a balance. Such themes are also true of the pomegranate, symbolizing both life and death. The circular shapes bringing the piece together to suggest a sense of balance and duality.
Date: October, 2023
Dimensions: 59cm x 84cm
Materials used: Acrylic
This piece took inspiration from the works of Basquiat who often combined text and images to convey a theme or message. I wanted this piece to be simple, the political message of the piece clear without any distractions to take away from such. I wanted to make a satirical critique on capitalism and how a person’s worth is based on their potential for profit in such society. A lack of freedom and individuality in a society built on consumerism. The flat background colour emphasizes this lack of self expression as well as the symbolism of the colour used, suggesting the violence and harm caused by a capitalist society that lacks community, compassion and solidarity.
Date: October, 2023
Dimensions: 40cm x 30cm
Materials used: acrylic, paint marker.
Animal Farm
After reading the book for my English class I was inspired to make this piece as my interpretation of the book. Using quotes from the book as well as the anthropomorphic focal point of the piece drawing from the final chapter of the book. Orwell, a writer that advocated against Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism in his books, I wanted to look at this idea and create a piece in response to this literary work. I think it’s important to consider how this book can relate to modern politics, continuing on from my last piece as a satirical criticism of the current political economic system. The wire wrapped around the piece to suggest a sense of confinement, the way in which we feel helpless and trapped in system that isolates us from community.
Date: October, 2023
Dimensions: 30cm x 30cm
Materials used: Acrylic, brio, posca pen, wire, tarot card.
Experimented with contrast in using a blue underpainting paired with red hues to accentuate the deep flesh-like hues to create an energetic expressive painting; using wide, almost frenzied brushstrokes to suggest a sense of chaos in the piece. The lack of a mouth in the piece in combination with the chaotic lines could suggest a sense of struggle to be heard and voice your opinions amidst inequality and class struggles in a system in which marginalized groups are often unrecognized and undervalued.
Date: November, 2023
Dimensions: 30cm x 30cm
materials used: acrylic, posca pen.
This pieces uses wire and bone, two materials which are seemingly inherently contrasting, one a symbol of nature, the other of industrialization and man-made items. This contrast ties into the dualism of the piece. The circle, no beginning, no end, an infinite cycle of life and death, rebirth and transformation. The piece was inspired by the Ouroboros symbol, an ancient symbol that spans across various cultures. The snake eating it’s own tail. Symbolic of these things, an image that fascinates me and represents the themes and ideas I’ve been inspired by throughout my works.
Date: July, 2023
Materials use: Bone, wire.
Ruby French 