ARTIST STATEMENT:
I paint to express senses that cannot be verbalised, seeking transcendence of emotion. Through expressive free form paintings, prints and automatic drawings, my work holds ritualistic significance in its ability to summon the subconscious, allowing the Shadow Self to communicate through each rhythmic brushstroke.
The confrontational nature of my art pulls people from their comfort zones to meet them with a painted recognition of our collective darkness – to see the patterns of fear, shame or self-destruction that hides within us and interrogate its role in our psyche. The attraction of my subliminal method of painting is largely in the mystery of each piece’s context; viewers describe a sense of unnerving intrigue when faced with emaciated humanoid figures staring back at them, depicted in familiar, surreal spaces. The mediums I use vary from garishly over-saturated oil paints and pastels to organic, stripped-down charcoal and coffee studies.
Experiencing intense dreams nightly, charged with emotion and cryptic symbolism, these images naturally bleed into my practice. To interpret this visual coding, I explore the physicality of its form through spontaneous sketches and careful consideration of colour and composition to challenge the taboo of human fragility. There is a sense of familiarity in these obscure renditions of darkness, I believe because it dwells within all of us, beneath our varied personalities, consequently art unifies us in such enigmatic ways.
The insecure nature of social media – likes and followers, the need to be seen in a particularly flattering light – it all feels like a shared state of egotistic denial. But embracing the reality of our grotesque natures through creative expression is liberating. When we examine inner darkness through visual storytelling, we begin to understand our capabilities. By releasing these demons from the mind and sentencing them to the confines of a canvas, we materialise their unseen reality. And so, we grow.
Contact
Instagram: @Areallycoolusername
Email: Isabellaconnell16@gmail.com
CV
Education
2018-2021 – BA Hons Fine Art Painting, University of Brighton
2017-2018 – Foundation Diploma, Art and Design at Tregye, Cornwall
Upcoming Exhibitions
2021 – FUSE, Brighton Regency Town House, Brighton
Group Exhibitions
2020 – Face to Face, Edward Street, University of Brighton, Brighton
2019 – Painting Festival 01, University of Brighton, Brighton
2018 – Foundation Diploma Show, Tregye Campus, Cornwall