After the success of
Alex H last year, several students have submitted their work for the Royal Academy A Level online Exhibition again this year. This is an extremly prestigious exhibition so good luck students!
Emily H, AS,
My artwork is inspired by intricate details in architecture
of fallen Manor Houses. I have
researched the unseen history behind seemingly untainted buildings and the
secrets they keep. I was influenced by
my visit to Wentworth Woodhouse where I discovered an attempt by the 10th
Earl Fitzwilliam to destroy evidence concerning the ownership of Wentworth
Woodhouse.
My interpretation of secrets behind such grand Manor Houses
is represented by delicate designs in its architecture. I researched Frank Randal, who studied the
small yet significant details of a building.
I have also researched John Piper, Daniela Gullotta and Valery
Koshlyakov. These artists have
influenced my artwork through atmosphere, texture and surfaces. The surface I use for my artwork represents
the state of the Manors concerning their age.
When I studied Wentworth Woodhouse and Cannon Hall, I noticed
the imposing structure’s dilapidating state.
I was reminded of their significant age as they have been inherited by
many generations. To reproduce this idea
in my artwork, I have ‘destroyed’ the surfaces by ripping cardboard and fading
wood.
Fran C, AS
Inspiration
All of
us can live a fulfilling life in the middle of the turmoil. During this project
I was inspired by portraiture and the external reflection of turmoil. I found that
I was interested in the inner emotions and issues of change and how people can
shape there lives. And also of turmoil and the way people acted and outwardly
displayed or hid these emotions. I looked to artists such as Jenny Saville and
Karen Lindholm and there work of squashed faces which created a strong link
with my idea of how external turmoil could be represented.
Description
The main
structure of this piece comes from a bed sheet that I printed onto. This was
created from a safe, secure and loving atmosphere of a bed that eliminates
emotional stress, which is then interrupted by turmoil and insecurity (the
knots) this is the inner representation of turmoil and shows how the once safe
and secure can become tight and harsh such as in turmoil. The outward
representation of turmoil comes form the hand printed faces. These printed
faces came from a photo shoot I did which was based on Karen Lindholmes' work
showing the expressions of turmoil. Another point about this piece is that when
it is taken down and rehung, it is never the same as it was previous, it is
different every time. This shows that turmoil is never the same between two
different people and it is never the same twice with individuals.
Grace D, A2
Hollie Turner, AS
Are
you wearing a mask? Is the person sat next to you wearing a mask? No? How do
you know this? Do we not all on a daily basis mask what we are really feeling?
Don’t we have different faces for different people, sometimes that static smile
that makes your jaw ache, and sometimes that grin that crinkles your whole
face?
During
this project I have been inspired by these masks that we wear on a daily basis.
I have been photographing people’s masks, destroying them and recreating them
from the broken fragments. I tore up these photographs and joined them back
together on somebodies face, ‘recreating’ their mask, and used this new set of
photographs to create an intaglio plate for printing. Using scrunched up paper
to break the prints up; I began overprinting, creating layers. Using broken up
prints I created this piece by cutting into the prints, stitching them together
on the canvas, adding structure and layers to the mask, as a kind of
scaffolding for this synthetic disguise. This piece is 3D, with the print
emerging from the canvas, creating layers and depth, much like the masks we
wear.
I
took inspiration from artists such as Mimmo Rotella, looking at layers and
fragmented images, Francis Bacon’s A Terrible Beauty looking at broken up
photographs, and “Edin” by the Edge of the Grid Collective as this large scale
installation inspired my piece.
Jenny B, AS
Joe B, A2
Kesia E, A2
Lucy G, A2
Mona P, AS
Share your
inspiration
I find portraiture painting fascinating. It’s all about
capturing different emotions and grasping the viewer’s attention by the
messages behind the sitters’ eyes. Lucian Freud’s work is very inspiring to me;
I find his style of painting most intriguing. Amongst other artists, Rembrandt,
Caravaggio and Frank Auerbach are also of inspiration to me. I love experimenting with new techniques to
try and develop my knowledge of painting. I think art is not just about self
expressionism; I try to address political and social issues in my work too, as
I am greatly interested in raising awareness and knowledge about current
worldly affairs as well as complex emotions we humans face and feel everyday.
About the art work
Title:
old man with a beard, Medium: Oil on canvas, Dimensions: 150cm height by 100cm width
This piece was inspired by various artists such as
Rembrandt, Lucian Freud and Jenny Saville and aims to confront the viewers with
the inevitability of death and the process of ageing. It’s powerful in the way
expression is captured in the old man’s eyes. The size of the canvas, inspired
by Jenny Saville, is directly linked encouraging emphasis and impact on the
viewers. I wanted to create something that would stick in the minds of the audience
so they would go away and ponder on where they stand on the subject of ageing;
how comfortable, or rather uncomfortable they are with it and how they feel
about death. Are they scared, anxious, angry, happy, eager, ignorant or just
impartial to the concept of death?
Rembrandt’s series of self portraits through out his life recording his ageing and, maturity in a sense, inspired this piece also.
Title: old man behind the…, Medium: oil on canvas, Dimensions: 150cm height by 100cm width
To paint this painting I first made an intaglio print and collaborated it with a monoprint and then painted the final outcome. I did this because I felt the Intaglio prints alone were aesthetically pleasing yet they were missing something. The monoprinting on top created a more different effect and the kind I was looking to achieve. I wanted to make the old man look as though he isn’t there. Almost like disappearing as many old people do when their children grow up and leave home or their close ones die, and they are left alone. Younger people often don’t want to spend time with the elderly and consequently they feel isolated and forgotten. This is a second painting which coincides with the old man with a beard.
Naomi R, A2
Rebecca R, A2
Steph L, AS
