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Anya Ilczenko
‘Untitled’, 2021
Mixed media
Size: 59 x 70cm

Anya Ilczenko’s unique application of colour and composition is one of the first things that draws the viewer to this textile piece. Clear uses of organic shades of blue, green and yellow link to a motif of nature, in particular, ferns. The colours appear to drip down the work and are suggestive of aged objects that are losing certain features due to changes in their environment. The composition of the work gives the viewer the impression of looking out of a window. Three yellow frames separate speckled blue window panes, giving the viewer the sense of observing something on the other side. This can invoke a feeling of being trapped, acting as a reminder that this art was created during a lockdown; one could see outside but could not go outside. Equally, it is reminiscent of a stained-glass window in a church.

Combined with the olive-green curling fern, this may represent the sanctity of the environment and nature. The inclusion of the fern design contrasts with the design of the background. The fern has finer details and a darker green whereas the background includes a variety of colours and has broader features. This art piece is reminiscent of William Morris’ c. 1862 Trellis textile. It shares the feature of the lattice pattern in the background.

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Amelie Jalabert
‘Untitled’, 2021
Digital photographs with thread.
Series of 6 prints, each 21 x 29.7cm

Amelie Jalabert uses a creative way to stylise her series of photographs. She incorporates coloured string sewn through the paper to create interesting patterns, with the colours highlighting certain areas of the piece, as they contrast against the black and white of the photos. The composition of the piece draws the eye as many of the photographs’ subjects are off-centre, particularly the works including people. She puts a white powder on some of the subjects, which really shows up in the series of monochrome prints she has produced. Jalabert also uses objects such as glass jars and pots to add smaller, more interesting details to the pieces.

Being in monochrome, the photographs might be said to create a melancholy atmosphere and confront the viewer with a sense of loneliness. These pieces complement the theme of ‘Faces of isolation’ as they link with the lonely, isolated figures present in some of the works. The piece also creates a narrative surrounding that of mental health and the way many people struggle with it: dark moods, lone figures, substance abuse, and scared faces.

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Kira Read

‘Untitled’, 2021

Acrylic on Canvas

40 x 50 cm

This work first draws the viewer in by presenting an interesting depiction of different perspectives of the same face, which has been distorted in the metal reflection of the tap. The piece is relatively simple, featuring a flat, one-colour background and a single tap in the foreground. Yet when looking at the painting closer, the impressive detail is revealed. The whole tap is constantly reflecting the room that it is in, at the same time as the person turning the tap on and each light beam that hits it, allowing for multiple colours to be reflected off the seemingly everyday object that is a silver tap. The piece has been painted using acrylic, and has been rendered in a realist style; that is, it has been painted to look how a tap reflecting a person and the room that it is in would look.

Inspiration for this piece may have come from a number of artworks, however Maurits Cornelis Escher’s ‘Hand with Reflecting Sphere’ (1935), has a similar feel to this image. The work shows a sphere held in the hand of the artist, which reflects both him and the room around him, similar to Read’s, which shows them to be reflected along with the bathroom that they’re in.

The artwork relates to the title of the exhibition, ‘FACES OF ISOLATION”. Whilst all of the artworks in this were created during the coronavirus pandemic, this piece seems to show this period as a time of self-reflection perhaps when one is washing their hands - something which all of us have been doing constantly for the last 18 months. The image on the surface of a tap presents a distorted vision of ourselves, perhaps a visual metaphor for what we have all had to confront in the multiple lockdowns this country has been put through in the recent past.

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Artist Unknown
‘Untitled’, 2021
Wood
22.5 x 28cm

I was intrigued by this work due to my prior knowledge of the work by Vanessa Beecroft; one of the most opinion-splitting performance artists of our time. Her 2016 exhibition featured a number of ceramic sculptures, tiles and vast murals. Each piece had a performative twist: the mural was formed from bodies writhing in clay, and Beecroft speaks of destroying her clay creations as readily as she does of forming them. This artwork struck me because of the emotion in the figure’s eyes, it felt like early religious iconography with its slightly distorted and oversized facial features. The facial features are very distinct and you can tell the women shown has some kind of South American descent, the only way I could speak on the true meaning of this piece would be to talk to the artists; which I am unable to do. However, from a purely visual basis, this piece is emotive and relatable at the same time.

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Lola Delafuente
‘Untitled’, 2021
Digital and film photographs
6 prints, various sizes

This work features a series of six different black and white photographs including portraits, negative copies and layered images. It depicts several girls photographed within nature, in groups and full body layered images. By portraying only female models, the work is able to explore both femininity as well as natural beauty as seen in genuine real-life moments. Additionally, this can also be denoted though the use of understated make-up and clothes in addition to the simple yet impactful use of black and white. The images link to the theme of ‘Faces of Isolation’ as not only does it highlight individuals, which explicitly explores the theme of isolation but it also shows intimate moments, something that was limited and perhaps even lost during isolation.

As a result, this work is able to confront the viewer with a sense of what life was like before isolation and an optimistic outlook as to the moments we will be able to reclaim in the future. This is further seen through the use of monochrome, which gives the piece a timeless feel but also preserves this rapidly changing situation, as if it were a memory.

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Natalia Wells
‘Untitled’, 2021
Acrylic on canvas
61 x 76cm

This work draws the viewer in because of its large scale and how the artist has created the image of a squashed face. This is an unusual approach as most portraits are simple and just depict the face unaltered. However, the artist has included the hands and has tried different positions to find the best pose for the effect. The paint is applied quite thickly in layers to create the different tones and highlights of the face. This piece is also notable because of the amount of detail the artist has put into the face, for example, the different tones and shades that create structure and emphasise the wrinkles around the mouth and nose caused by the fingers being pressed up against the face.

Art can be interpreted differently by many people. However, the way I interpret this artwork is to do with different faces, because of how the artist uses an unusual pose and angle to create a different face shape from the one before, maybe to show how skin and faces can be manipulated to mimic expressions of happiness, sadness, confusion and so on.

Jenny Saville’s artwork can be a good reference for this piece as she mainly focuses on faces. She paints these faces using multiple colours such as yellow, pink, orange and blue. She also creates different poses for each painting and clearly focuses on detail on each face and tones and textures.

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Ross Brooks
‘Untitled’, 2021
Oil Painting on Paper
29.7 x 42cm

Drawn in by the artwork’s intriguing gloom, the figure stands at an angle, peering at something, something we will never be able to comprehend. Its gentle shades of rich hues sit wonderfully on the paper. The theme are the eyes, which effortlessly glance at that ‘something’. An expression of bewilderment and inquiry has been painstakingly painted, in order to match the strange surroundings. The nothingness of the atmosphere is dark, futile, and undistinguishable, balancing different tones of colours directed onto the paper.
This painting was created during the January 2021 lockdown and seems to reflect that period of time. For many, isolation has lasted for an extended period. Cases of COVID 19 infiltrated the lives of both the sick and the healthy, who were stuck inside their houses, which should be homes not just spaces for isolation. The background seems to mirror the dark atmosphere in people’s lives and surroundings; the subject stands perplexed, possibly even concerned. The virus entrapped and harmed many individuals, not only physically but mentally too. With the face of isolation, this painting evokes dark times; the other characteristics of the virus.

Overall, this exhibition explores the range of emotions and feelings that these artists have experienced. Many expressions, emotions and opinions are mirrored in the artworks through various materials. Along with numerous other art works in this exhibition, this painting confronts the observer with a different facet of quarantine.

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Sasha Alderman-White
‘Untitled’, 2021
Digital photographs
6 prints, each 29.7 x 21cm

Contemporary art practices utilise many approaches to convey their ideas. Sasha Alderman-White uses the form of photography, which can be a very immediate way of presenting human emotions throughout a piece. This work is laid out in a grid of 6 images, which helps convey the feelings behind the work and how they relate to the theme of “Faces of Isolation”. The female, who is present in each print is shown with lying in a bath with a cigarette and smudged eyeliner. Since this series of photographs was created during the period of lockdown late last year (2020), the viewer can see how this may have affected teenagers with depression, anxiety and other sorts of mental illnesses.

The way this piece grasps the intensity of how Lockdown has affected some members of the younger generations is a very hard thing to do. However, the use of lighting and the shadows give the audience an accurate representation on how some teenagers handled it. The use of the cigarette and running make-up also gives us an idea on how they have struggled with situations such as the use of addictive substances. Hence why this is a very appropriate piece to have in this exhibition.

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Elva Webb

‘Untitled’, 2021
Watercolour and mixed media on paper
76 x 56cm

This painting is a self-portrait of a girl who has dominating blue hair that is displayed in places as if it were the surface of water, possibly on an ocean. The sea in art is often interpreted as a place where one can easily feel isolated and here she looks very lost in her thoughts. The artist does appear very sad which perhaps is shown through the different shades of blue. Plus, she is laying down and her eyelids are heavy meaning she could be feeling unhappy or pensive. Blue has often been used in western art to symbolise sadness or loneliness as is the case in the work of Pablo Picasso at the start of the 1900s.

The media used for this piece are watercolour paint and ink. The technique that she has used when painting with the watercolours is to create wide and prominent bands for her locks of hair and then in between sections, gracefully and delicately drawn lines in white ink to fill up the gap with one of the shades of blue. What drew me to the painting were the various blue hues as well as the amount of fine details in her face, for example, the curves and sharp edges that give the work a sense of realism.

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Alice Martin
‘Untitled’, 2021
Oil and Acrylic on board
38cm Diameter (Round Board)

This intriguing piece features many layers and uses a soft pastel colour palette in order to help capture the viewer’s attention. The artwork has intricacy and the layered composition shows how the artist carefully thought out where each element was to be painted. The choice of a secondary colour palette creates a sense of calm and helps to show the Martin’s process in painting each coloured section. The artist has chosen to centre the subject compositionally, to show the viewer her sense of self-reflection and contemplation in the piece. The subject matter’s off-centre gaze creates a tone of mystery and further shows her contemplation as she is staring at something.

My own interpretation of this artwork is that the subject is looking at herself in the mirror, reflecting on the circumstances she is living in and how the bolder patterns covering her face may be a ‘front’- the pastel tones are hiding her true emotions. During the first COVID-19 lockdown many people had a lot of time to reminisce and think and this piece shows these emotions clearly. Psychologically, bright pastel colours immediately are supposed to make you feel happy and aesthetically they are supposed to create a utopian atmosphere. Therefore, the colours covering the subject matter’s face may show that they want to try and hide their sadness caused by the pandemic.

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Rebecca Plumb
‘Untitled’, 2021
Acrylic on acetate and cardboard
25 x 34cm

This painting is a portrait of a man created with a pointillist technique and a range of different colours. The mix of pastel colours and skin tones draws in the viewer because the brighter shades are unusually placed on and around the man’s face. The use of pointillism creates a blurred appearance to the artwork. Some features of the face, however, such as the eyes and mouth use continuous brushstrokes, which allows the face to still display distinct emotions. This painting is part of a series of four portraits of people’s faces looking off to the side, created using acrylic paint on acetate.

This individual painting links to the theme of “Faces of Isolation” because of the emotions depicted. They give the viewer a sense that the man in the painting is exhausted by daily life, which some of society would have felt during the lockdown period. Other people could view this portrait as emotionless or numb, which was also felt throughout society during isolation. The fragmented style of the artwork could represent the split in society during the 2020 lockdown.

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Stephanie Chambers
'Untitled', 2021
Mixed media sculpture
19 x 33 x 13cm

Amongst many artworks, this piece separates itself entirely due to the strange ideas it exhibits. Being a mask of a man’s head with horns, provides it with an immediate fantastical quality, perhaps referencing cuckolds written about in historical, mythological tales, which are often depicted as horned men. The mouth – alongside the horns being the most noticeable part – is constructed carefully to portray a crooked smile. This feature stands out furthermore due to the slight yellow tinting of the teeth, becoming the main feature on the unidentified creature’s face. Through reducing the visage to prioritise the toothy grin, the artist is inviting you to gaze upon the oddity of the sculpture, questioning the multiple ways this part-man, part-animal could be viewed. Accentuating this feature strengthens the impression that the teeth are significant, an oddity to which you are urged to pay attention.

The overall physical qualities of the work are rough, imperfect and textured. The white paint used to cover the face allows each lump and dimple in its surface to be appreciated by the eye of the viewer.

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James Clayton
'David with the head of Goliath (Homage to Caravaggio)', 2021
Oil on canvas
Size Unknown

The first thing that drew me to this work was its interesting use of light to create and sense of drama. The title refers to the classic paintings of Caravaggio and therefore mimics Caravaggio’s iconic contrasting light source. Claytons use of black as a background is not only reminiscent of Caravaggio but also helps focus the viewer on the scene and the figures in the painting. Up close the way the paint in lay onto the canvas is very contemporary and abstracted, however when standing further back the brush strokes seem to blend and recreate the blended quality of skin that was popular in Caravaggio’s time. An interesting quality borrowed from Caravaggio is the use of the figure holding a head which refers the allegory of David vs Goliath, a biblical story in the book of Samuel, this story is one of Caravaggio’s most referenced when looking at his paintings.

This painting fits the theme of faces of isolation because it was produced at home while a pandemic swept through earth, the painting can also be interpreted aa a representation of humans aiming to defeat Covid-19. Clayton wants the viewer to be captivated by the dramatic and somewhat gory scene that he had painting and fir the viewer to find a sense of hope within the painting for better days after the “war” or “battle “ with this disease.

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