IB Art Final Exhibition Guide 2019 IB Art Exhibition Guide 2019 | Page 24

Saskia Ziv-Guest
Everything you can imagine is real, according to
Picasso, and this is why I make art. My study of art in
the last two years has focused on bringing my visions,
both real and imaginary, to life. My portfolio engages
with the theme of self, as I make art around my
personal experiences and resulting feelings. One of
my Lower Sixth projects involved keeping a fish alive,
as I explored human ownership and relationships.
Melanie Yates
The ideas of this collection stemmed from a deep-rooted interest in exploring my cultural heritage through
artistic media. From an early age, I found myself inspired by both European Realism and the vibrant colours
used in African art. This naturally began to permeate into my developing artistic style which, in turn, became a
vehicle to explore my identity as a biracial woman.
It seemed like a natural progression for me to explore how colour in art can be used to create impact,
particularly since colour has the ability to evoke strong emotional responses. I immersed myself in the process
of creating prints and oil paintings, mainly focusing on portraiture. My artistic process generally consisted of
taking an initial reference photo and painting the subject and then the background. I found myself inexplicably
drawn to certain colours due to the emotional connection I felt with the subject in the painting. As I progressed
further through the course I began to develop an interest in manipulating images in order to warp perceptions
and confuse the expectations of the viewer. The ultimate aim of my work is to instil in the viewer the same
visceral connection I have with the subject, allowing them to see the world through my eyes.
In the Upper Sixth I began making more explicit
work using monoprints, adopting a confessional style.
I used this medium to express my frustration at not
having particularly refined artistic technique. This
led to a statement piece I hope connects with other
artists, entitled I Can’t Draw, I Can’t Paint And I Can’t
Sculpt, But I’m A Fucking Artist. Once I had accepted
this truth, I became more confident and began
experimenting with linocuts, neon and painting.
Using text-heavy and image-laden work I try to blur
the lines between the real world and art. Often raw
and always honest, my work captures the universality
of human experience.