Catherine

The aim of my work is to establish an appreciation for classical architectural elements in an age when people are seemingly indifferent to their aesthetic. My move from New York City to Paris in 2019 inspired me to apply for architecture at university, as I had garnered an appreciation for the Haussmanian and classical elements of the built environment. Simultaneously, I took notice of how locals hardly appreciate the beauty and detail of where they live. Thus, my body of work focused on the interaction between people and architecture - I wanted to curate an awareness of how overfamiliarity has caused the beauty of our cities to go unseen. My work encourages the viewer to look around every so often, and to appreciate the details that they would otherwise take for granted.

My work is highly figurative, utilising fine detail and contrast. I worked with acrylic paint, oil pastels, and charcoal to achieve a level of realism. In my long-format drawing Enlighten, the viewer is encouraged to appreciate reality as they do my illustration. The use of expanded concrete, cardboard, and clay gave me control over viewing angles, form, and texture; The use of clay for my ceramic torso Soul (inspired by Alexandros of Antioch and Chauncey Ives) allowed me to replicate the smoothness of marble, a defining material of classical architecture. The challenges of these mediums forced me to problem solve in my 3D work - Soul shattered in the kiln, giving me the opportunity to transform the piece into a recognition of the beauty of architectural elements, despite their deterioration.

I initially struggled to narrow down my theme, unsure of how to combine my love of classical sculpture and ornate buildings. However, a turning point in my conceptual ideas was Hidden Gems, where I realized both were taken for granted in the context of the built environment in Paris: It depicts the Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons, a feat of 18th century architecture lost in a city of tourist attractions. From there, I realized my theme of unappreciated elements had been present in my work all along - even my abstract ceramic work, Coalescence, had its form derived from an overlooked shape from my concertina piece, Familiarity. I followed the idea of the built environment going unnoticed until the end, with my final piece, Pillar (inspired by Eva Jospin) being an acknowledgement of how important architecture is to society’s functions.