Catherine Weng
St George Girls High School
ENTROPY
Collection of Work
Embroidery, oil and acrylic paint, polyester wadding, on calico, tulle, organza, ribbon, graphite pencil on paper, ink pen, burning, carving on wood, acrylic, ink pen on paper
Based on my experiences with swimming, Entropy examines the feelings of anxiety, stress and physical pressure associated with competitive sport. My body of work explores various interpretations of physical and psychological confusion. I used textiles, paint, graphite and ink to represent the sensation of pain, and textiles to express the feeling of being underwater. Through the chaotic drawings and series on wood I investigated the physical exertion of the body. The abstract forms and rough-hewn edges are intended to represent a person whose mental state is in turmoil.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Anselm Kiefer.
Marker's Commentary
This body of work demonstrates technical proficiency through an array of media including sculpture drawing and painting. There is a knowing selection of materials in which expressive figurative representation has emerged, ranging from wood to paper and textile material. The mark making demonstrates the expressive competency of the work and its ability to generate an account on entropy. The contorted torso, pained faces and gestural mark making amalgamate to provide a pictorial account of visceral fear towards change and death. The sweeping gestural quality of paint and charcoal combine to effectively resonate a sense crisis in the existence of the subject. The seemingly tortured bodies convey a palpable sense of existential dread, demonstrating a sophisticated approach to the ideation of figuration to convey a deep sense of identity. The employment of wooden detritus and the sculptured fabric forms as the material basis for the paintings and drawing highlights the innovative approach. The transition of pictorial elements, both figurative and abstract, coupled with differing materials presents entropy as conceptual construct of dynamic and frenetic energy. The collection of abstract marks, tormented faces and grotesque limbs evoke a primordial disorder that makes this submission a powerful collision of emotions and thoughts conveyed effectively through a range of materials.