THE GRAD SHOW!!!!!

Here are my latest works from my grad show! It has been a challenging year but alas I feel that the end result has been a success. Although there are a million things I could change, I think I have come up with a good series of images which reflect my concept.

Printmaking Statement

As a first-generation child of Polish migrants, I am intrigued by the paradoxical relationship between feelings of belonging and detachment.  Born and living in Tasmania, with family and ancestors in the Northern Hemisphere, I have explored the link between my contemporary life and my Polish heritage.  I have done this through a visual examination of objects that, for me, act as vessels connecting the present to the past. 

The sewing machine, gramophone, mannequin, shoes, and fabric are largely domestic objects that also relate to my sense of self.  They also refer to a time past and therefore have poetic and nostalgic associations.  These objects have been incorporated into the prints to suggest the feminine connections I share with my Great Grandmother, who was once known as Beautiful Helena. 

I have deliberately isolated the objects within my images by creating undefined spaces in which they float in an attempt to express the longing for my heritage and feelings of disconnection.  Layering colour has become essential for creating depth and enhancing feelings of nostalgia and references to memory.  References to my Polish heritage and traditional values have been expressed through colour and lace details. The images of birds and trees symbolize nurturing, fertility and a sense of home.

My travel to Europe earlier this year gave me inspiration to engage with different methods of mark-making in etching. I found the exposure to different artists and movements, of great benefit and Modigliani’s elongated faces and Dali’s abstract proportions particularly fascinated me. After exploring different techniques and a variety of artistic expressions, I found success within my own style, portraying emotional connections through the prints.  This body of work reflects on these travels to Poland, and my journal and sketches have been integral to the development of my images. Through all of these symbolic processes, it has been my intention to connect to a place where two worlds join together, with the hope of further discovering my cultural identity.