Anna Russell-Jones
Responding to the prompt ‘ Sensations ’, I aimed to explore the sensation of ageing , as a constantly moving and intimate process . Initially inspired by the works of Mark Powell , Jenny Saville and Rosanna Jones , I sought to mirror the folded landscape of the skin through mixed media processes , primarily using biro to focus on fine wrinkles . As my exploration progressed , I homed in on the idea of detaching personal identity from the body and skin , using photography to manipulate and hide external bodily outlines . I focused on how the lines on skin could be autobiographical reflection of a person ’ s experiences , over time . This developing texture of skin was explored through my layering of mixed media , using ink , biro , paint and charcoal to imitate the depth of skin .
In my later pieces , I focused on abstracting the human form onto zoom-ins on flesh , to focus on the intimacy harboured within the lines etched into skin . By displaying the intricacy behind wrinkles , I hoped to challenge the fear of ageing ; of old bodies decaying and deteriorating , and show the beauty and intimacy of the ageing process . Marlene Dumas ’ s use of ink inspired my later work ; I applied her technique of allowing the ink to bleed in gradients on the shadows of the body parts I captured . This free nature of ink aided my abstraction of a recognisable human form .