Personal statement

I am aware that language can be very limiting when trying to describe the complex thoughts and feelings that people have everyday. I have often found myself feeling frustrated because of this, until I came across an interview with the artist Agnes Martin. Her meditative practice helped me to see that art goes beyond words. Gaining this new perspective has felt so freeing. Agnes martins belief that “art is the concrete representation of our most subtle feelings” really resonates with me, it is this subtlety of feelings that I have felt unable to put into words. I now understand that art doesn’t have to be describable and because of this I can to use it to explore the indescribable. Knowing this, I wonder why arts importance is sometimes discounted or not taken seriously, So much goes unspoken simply because the words don’t exist, knowing this can be changed feels very powerful. I want to continue to explore using art as a language to communicate and share with others, and to start conversations where I felt I couldn't previously.

I am currently looking at abstraction and the mystery it can create, as a way of reflecting the large amount of mystery in the world. I have found that putting images of my already abstract paintings through multiple different processes such as repeated photocopying and taking photographs of photographs slowly took the abstraction further, blurring and softening the images, distorting them beyond any point of recognition. The images I was left with where unidentifiable washes of grey, with no beginning or end. Discovering the artist shirazeh housary has been influential for me, I love the way history, science and poetry influence her work (something about difficult conversations). For me, the way she uses ambiguity and doubt to question reality and challenge our perceptions feels really significant, She describes her piece ‘veil’, a canvas painted (seemingly) entirely black as “a protest against knowing”. I found myself asking how far can I take abstraction, where does it end?

Questions such as these I might never have thought to ask before this year. Whilst I found A level interesting, I thought there had to be more to it and I felt restricted. Now that I have something (foundation) to compare it to, I understand that it was prescriptive and the syllabus was limiting. Studying art at foundation has helped me to let go of any pre-conceptions and I have become more open minded, particularly when thinking about what counts as ‘art’ and what doesn’t. This has been beneficial for me, last year I might have questioned the ‘value’ of shirazeh housirarys “veil” Now I have a new perspective.j

I have learnt that research is an integral part of making art that means something to me. it helps me to Articulate thoughts and inform ideas, this really supports my work. John Berger book ‘ways of seeing’ allowed me to explore my own biases and have the confidence to question others. Reading John Paul Sartre's ‘nausea’ was also important for me, it was the first time I had seen an attempt at describing specific “abstract thoughts”, it pushed me to start reading more and it gave me the confidence to start making my current work.

We know very little about our world, as much as this scares me, it means I will never stop asking questions. Continuing to make art, in an environment surrounded by like-minded people, gives me the chance to try and find answers, whilst gaining a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me. I look forward to studying art history alongside my continued research of contemporary practice, it will further enhance my work and help me to find my place as an artist in the modern world. I feel I have become much more confident and ambitious in such a short amount of time, I am looking forward to see what happens as I continue.

Personal statement

Confirm copying