PARKLIFE Spring 2023 _From Brushstroke to Pixel

Cecily Hignett’s work reveals the careful placement of objects that live in harmony both
in colour and meaning. This is a recurrent theme that can be spotted in many paintings
such as Matilda Harley’s or Clara Thorneycroft’s. Some of the compositions are dominated
by digital devices, becoming symbols of contemporality. Their function lives in the social
sphere. Many, namely Matvei Kovalenko’s painting, add to current debates on technology.
Eliza Dunbar’s work is a gentle reminder of how, historically, objects have helped us
stay connected and continue to do so in the digital age. Our relationship with objects is
questioned further in artworks like Freddie Ward’s and Violeta Dima’s that have an afterdinner
mood and build on the legacy of avant-garde artists such as Daniel Spoerri.
The diverse range of responses are surprising when looking at the Year Six body of
work in relation to Cezanne at Tate Modern. The artist’s still lifes defeat gravity and linear
perspective rules, presenting us with permutations of the same objects, some becoming
visual motifs. Paul Cezanne has given ‘licence to generations of artists to break the rule
book’ and produce work that is relevant and personal. Year Six have stretched the limits of
the well-known subject matter, still life, and have fully explored the role of the object in the
artist realm. Their work truly touches on the complex relationships we develop with objects.
Fragments
Acrylic, spray paint and broken plates on canvas
In my painting I wanted to show that memories can
be forgotten and how they can be brought back
together. Like I show in this painting, memories are
represented as a plate which I smashed and glued
them back together. This work is personal to me,
this is because I have a cousin that I have barely
met because of Covid and I finally was able to meet
him just recently.
When dark comes to light
Plasticine, stop motion animation
I created a stop motion animation by creating
objects in plasticine (which is like clay but less
sticky). It was almost like painting with a brush
but my fingerprint was the brush because I
applied every stroke. I took a picture each
time. I am proud of my artwork because it took
lots of patience which sometimes I don’t have.