Phoebe Hardwick
Degree: BA Fine Art
University: Falmouth University
Graduation Year: 2018
New Blood Art Commentary
Phoebe Hardwick draws inspiration from past painters, particularly those of Dutch and Flemish origins, and employs a naturalistic style to connect her work to reality and art history. This naturalism is juxtaposed with peculiar compositions to enhance the ambiguity of the settings, inviting contemplation from the audience, while a narrative is implied, it is open. Her use of hyper-realistic color and assured brushwork adds a textural softness and an uncanny layer to her narratives, making her paintings feel more 'real' than photographs while maintaining their painterly essence.
Artist Statement
My paintings manipulate and play on the themes surrounding women in art, both currently and historically. Drawing inspiration from past painters, especially those of Dutch and Flemish origins, the paintings are rendered in a naturalistic style so as to demonstrate their connection to reality and to art history. This is contrasted with bizarre or peculiar compositions so as to heighten the women’s ambiguous settings and thus create a space for audience contemplation.