Welcome to Sevenoaks School ’ s IB Art Exhibition 2021
Anna Woodward ( OS 2016 ) My time at Sevenoaks School has been incredibly influential on my career within the arts so far . I joined Sevenoaks School in 2014 for the Sixth Form and I was also awarded an art scholarship . During this period art really became the focal point within my life and I knew that I wanted to go onto study Fine Art after completing the IB . I think that whilst at Sevenoaks School I really fell in love with art as a subject but also as my future . I remember spending every spare moment in my studio space experimenting with ideas and making work .
In 2017 I started my undergraduate degree at City and Guilds of London Art School where I studied Fine Art . City and Guilds of London Art School is an incredibly unique and traditional institution which offers so much support to emerging , early career stage artists . Within my work I am investigating the contemporary abstraction of classical paintings depicting Greek mythology . I am interested in the Greek mythology through its drama , escapism and teachings of human behaviours . When looking at classical paintings depicting the Greek myths , they are often beautiful paintings , rich in colour and figuration , yet sometimes hide the dark truths in the literature . I find that classical paintings often become beautiful and decorative works .
I take a series of classical paintings focusing on one myth or theme and use Photoshop to create a digital collage , bringing the different paintings together . When creating a collage I look to create contrast in scale , colour and orientation and to abstract the figures and forms . I use the collage as a reference when making my abstract oil paintings ; I build up colour and form through the use of layering . As the paintings develop , they start to become more about the application of mark making and colour ; they move away from the classical reference collage . I want the work to draw the viewer into the way the colours work on top of each other and the more you study the painting the further you see into it .
At the start of 2020 I also set up the Instagram platform The Artists Contemporary , a page that focuses on championing emerging contemporary artists . The page has now expanded into exhibitions , a website , podcasts , written interviews and an online gallery . The running of The Artists Contemporary really supports my own artistic practice through engaging in conversations with other artists and curators , while learning from their own work and experiences .
Penelope and her 108 suitors , Anna Woodward