Emilie
My body of work explores and moves through several ideas that all connect to the beauty of nature. Initially, I explored nature in my surrounding local area of Paris, which was portrayed both figuratively and abstract. My work also includes landscapes and close up details of natural forms in both drawings and ceramic work. I also looked at how nature can be connected to different human emotions by using butterflies, flowers and leaves. Lots of the inspiration for my artworks started from taking photographs of nature. My exhibition pieces are both 2D and 3D that use a large range of materials. This includes acrylic paint, clay, plaster, modroc and cyanotype. My exhibition work culminates with work where I directly use natural objects and have them imprinted onto clay and plaster to reveal the fine and realistic details. This was a technique which I enjoyed working with as it gave incredible details.
My concertina portrays the natural environment where I live in Paris and later inspired me to make the ceramic sculptures ‘The Leaf’ and ‘The Tree’, which shows the close-up details of nature in an abstract approach. Through my exploration of nature, I was introduced to Georgia O’Keeffe and her work has had a significant impact on my own artworks, from her flowers to landscape paintings. In my large landscape painting ‘Mountains of Mauritius’, where the influence of O’Keeffe’s techniques and colour schemes can clearly be seen. As I started to connect nature with human figures, I looked into Henri Matisse’s simplified lines illustrating the female body. This inspired me with my female torso and portrait sculpture. I started to look into the more realistic and delicate side of nature. This further inspired me to create the detailed plaster and clay tiles. From looking at the photographer Karl Blossfeldt and the artist Phoebe Cummings’ work of portraying very exquisite and intricate details of nature. This further inspired me to create the detailed plaster and clay tiles and the cyanotype drawings, as it allowed me to show the beautiful details that can be created from nature.
My exhibition is laid out in a square room with a large floor space. I tried to place the artworks with space to create a spacious and calm atmosphere. My vision is to intersperse the colours and scale of my artworks. The first thing that can be seen when entering the room is the ‘Tiles of Flowers’ and ‘The face’, which both include subtle colours. Then looking to the right, they will notice the ‘Mountains of Mauritius’, which is the boldest piece and therefore has been placed by itself. The two ceramic pieces are placed closely to illustrate their connection, alongside with the ‘Flowers by Cyonatype’ to break the quite natural colours. ‘A day in Paris’ is placed next to ‘Sommerfugle i maven’ as they share the same colour scheme, however there is still a pop of colour from the butterflies. Lastly, all the plaster tiles are placed as an installation in the middle of the room, so that the audience will be encouraged to walk around the room. This way the audience will also be forced to look more closely and intently at details in the artworks as well as experience neutral colours and the calm atmosphere of the room.
I intend the audience to understand and see the overall theme of beauty in nature. But as you are walking through my exhibition, the intention is also for the audience to reflect on the different relationships that I use to portray nature. Both with my local surroundings, then with using human figures and using natural objects. When entering the room, the two focal points is the clay tiles and the cyonatype drawings that will be noticed first. It will also be important for the audience to understand and reflect over the beauty that can be found in nature, including the incredible details in the clay and plaster tiles that appear when looking closely. The audience should also recognise the many techniques that are used to convey the theme.
Tiles of Flowers (March 2023)
White clay, oxide and glaze
105 x 76 x 3 cm
Trips to Mauritius and Rome inspired me to make this artwork, as I came across pattern tiles with flowers on. The purpose of the piece was to illustrate the beauty of the form of flowers. To make the piece, I used about 20 fresh flowers and imprinted them into the clay. Afterwards, I used oxide to create more depth in the imprints and different coloured glaze. I was inspired to use the same colours from “Mountains of Mauritius” when doing the glaze. The tiles are displayed on 3 wooden boards.
Mountains of Mauritius (October 2022)
Acrylic paint on canvas
111 x 157 cm
This artwork was made to display a photograph that I took on a vacation in Mauritius. I edited it on Photoshop to get the colours and composition that I wanted. Throughout the process I wanted to focus on the bleeding of the colours. Here I was especially inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting ‘Lake George Reflection’ as she used those techniques and colours clearly within her artwork. To connect the painting, I used orange lines in the mountains to make a connection to the sky.
