home IG: @_lucyartwork artwork statement
My art practice focuses on contemporary figurative portraiture and the developmental psychology of adolescence. I critically examine different angles of liminality through historical contexts, such as in how Malawian tribes celebrate their transition into adulthood. [1] My work in Studio Two initially focusses on the different aspects of liminality, grounded on the foundation of mindfulness and the human brain. This gradually shifts towards age and growth, motivated by my own personal experiences. Adolescence is a critical period of growth- inspiring my ideas of transition from the practices of the Malawian tribes and my visual analyses of portraiture and psychology. My research on this topic splits into three key categories of Identity, Incomplete, and Bodies. ‘Within Liminality’ brings the concept of discomfort lodged in the pivotal moments of teenagerhood. Power of Horror by Julia Kristeva draws on the work of Freud and Lacan, effectively describing the boundaries between the self and what is “abstract”. This includes the underlying horror of bodily fluids and decay, to show how humans reject what is abnormal to them and the social order. [2] Young adults relate to this sensation as they work through their self-dissonance when growing into their bodies and developing their sense of self. My work explores this psychological rejection and abstract feelings within adolescents during this transitional, liminal period. Identity is a branch of adolescence, explored in my line art and embroidery through signatures as a form of self-proclamation and objectification. This is studied in the writings of Wieland Schwanebeck’s analysis of signatures in the book titled Constructions of the Gendered Self across the Media; it outlines the communication brought between the artist and audience. [3] It was this research that made me consider the visual effect of line art and assertive nature of signatures, hence why I ended up not signing my final piece as to increase the isolate mentality of my self-portrait. Embroidery is a key element in my final exhibition work in separating the portraiture from reality and focussing on the psyche and expression. In my visual analyses, identity is also expressed through colour theory and cold blues to signify negative emotion and fluidity in their growth. Additionally, disfiguration is investigated in my research on the incomplete nature of adolescents, such as by including a mask in the final artwork. Christina Quarles inspires my visual expression of the incompleteness of adolescence, linking to my focus on identity. With her vibrant colours and lonely negative space, my work takes the focus of mental health in teenagers; this is inspired by my own personal experiences- explaining my work of self-portraits. The disfiguration in both Quarles and my work creates a deformed composition, such as through missing facial features and body parts scattered through the artworks that was developed in my experimentation with collaging. Body dysmorphia, common amongst adolescents, visualises the mental struggle they can hide. Jenny Saville’s exploration into bodies and the female experience is expressed through portraiture made on a large scale of exposed women and fleshy skin. [4] Another influential artist in my work is Rineke Dijkstra, who uses photography to capture the awkwardness of adolescents. [5] Accordingly, my art uses skin texture and body language to bring this disposition to shape with ribs and small undeveloped figures. Overall, my artwork explores the alienation and ambiguity of someone clearly lost and searching through the visualisation of developmental psychology. The acrylic paint and oil pastel artworks tap into the psyche of adolescence through their body language and discomfort. Ultimately, my work is the conceptualisation of adolescence through the liminal state: dissociated, fragmented, yet still in transition. |
[1] Munthali, Alister C, and Eliya M Zulu. 2024. “The Timing and Role of Initiation Rites in Preparing Young People for Adolescence and Responsible Sexual and Reproductive Behaviour in Malawi.” African Journal of Reproductive Health 11 (3): 150. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2367147/.
[2] Kristeva, Julia. “Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection.” SubStance 13, no. 3/4 (1982): 229.
[3] Schwanebeck, Wieland. 2015. “The Painter’s Hand and Hitchcock’s Silhouette: A Study of Signatures.” In Constructions of the Gendered Self across the Media, edited by Ulrike Kohn et aL., 88–106. Leipziger Universitätsverlag.
[4] Yichen, Li. 2023. “Propped by Jenny Saville: Challenging the Aesthetics of the Female Body and Image,” May, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.17758/eares13.uh0523412.
[5] Quick, Jennifer Eileen. 2008. “Rineke Dijkstra and Contemporary Subjectivity .” University of Maryland. 2008. https://www.proquest.com/openview/c72ccd38041c195b9bc13e6199d9a902/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750.