ARTIST STATEMENT
Fragment/Lament highlights how representations of humanity in art have evolved, and the extent to which the current state of humanity is mirrored through our creation and interpretation of art. The work appropriates modernist elements, synthesising collage, portraiture, textile, and installation. Its triptych-like structure enables a progression of symbols and a postmodern self-referentiality which emphasises its underpinning contemporary context. Symbols of the representational are juxtaposed against symbols of the expressionist. As such, the work asserts that life does imitate art, positioning audiences to reflect on how they, much like the work’s symbolism, have taken multiple forms and transformed over time.
ARTWORK PROCESS
As the final phase of my inquiry, I aimed for this piece to be complex, self-referential, and multi-faceted, utilising a range of symbols across a variety of mediums. Within my research, I drew influence from modern artists Kathë Kollwitz and Bridget Riley to contemporary painters such as Ben Quilty, as well as the theoretical influences of postmodernism and posthumanism. The construction of the piece allowed me to experiment with new techniques and media, including impasto, collage, and textile. The final work synthesises and exploits these approaches to reflect the multiplicity of human representations within art.
