Continuing on from the cyanotype experiments I have continued to develop the idea of a merging gender creating this triptych. I have transferred the image onto plywood, which I have covered with gold wax. They are a modern version of the icon. I need to resolve how the figures should be displayed, possibly in reset frames with lights?
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Continuing my research into femininity I’ve been looking at how women have been represented throughout history. The Defining Beauty Exhibition – the Body in art in Ancient Greece and Alexander McQueen - Savage Beauty Exhibitions were an excellent starting point and very inspirational.
Moving on from the initial mono prints landscapes I have decided to try out a few different methods. I have dyed and torn strips of paper, layering them to create landscapes. Used alcohol inks on yuppo paper, pastel on black paper, using a brayer to paint on brown paper etc. I have enjoyed experimenting with all these methods and may go back to develop them in the future.
Today I have been experimenting with cyanotype printing, I have merged photographs of a male and female body to show how the distinctions between genders seem to be merging and blurring.
In order to loosen up my landscape paintings – I’ve decided to try mono printing.
I’ve used acrylic plate and a gelatin plate – there are many recipes to make the gelatin plate on the Internet and some readymade plates are also available. I found that that the speed needed to complete the prints has loosened up my style, which is exactly what I wanted. So much so that I have decided to show them in my first group exhibition at The Gage Gallery, Sheffield. I wasn’t able to go to the Biennale in Venice this year but a crisp sunny day encouraged me to walk along our own canal here in Sheffield. A very inspirational walk – I was fascinated by the reflections in the ripples created by the barges as they cruised past. But not quite as inspiring as the real Venice? After reading various articles about transgender, plastic surgery and image in general I’m using my work to investigate the idea of femininity and what it looks like in contemporary society.
I’m hoping the work produced in the life drawing class will feed into this work. A trip to the North coast has proved inspiration to try and capture its beauty, wildness, and atmosphere.
I will use the following photographs as inspiration, and to evoke the emotions and as a reminder of the senses evoked standing on a sunny if slightly windswept beach or on vigorous walks though the coastal landscape. Those familiar with my work know that I am usually working on at least two projects at a time with one feeding off the other. Whilst investigating what femininity is today I am also looking at abstraction in relation to the landscape. For a while now I have been working on a series of ever more abstract landscapes. This has been a long evolutionary process, involving experimentation initially with acrylic paint. Whilst the above is not the most abstract rendering of a landscape it marks a breakthrough in my painting practice, which, until now has been much tighter with the focus on trying to capture what I see as realistically as possible. However, I have never been happy with the results. This piece is an interpretation of an imaginary landscape. I am happy with the expressive brush strokes in the foreground, whilst the colours capture the atmosphere of the Italian countryside. However, I would like to push my practice to gain greater abstraction. Walking in the centre of Sheffield today my attention was drawn to some vibrant leaves, which seemed to deserve their own portraits! They seemed almost sculptural at times and I hope the photos I took captured their vibrant colours and sculptural beauty |
AuthorSue works in mixed media with a particular focus on acrylics, textiles, and photography. Archives
March 2017
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