Phoebe Hardwick
Degree: BA Fine Art
University: Falmouth University
Graduation Year: 2018
New Blood Art Commentary
Hardwick’s work can be seen as an exploration of the unconscious. The juxtaposition of hyper-realistic colour and assured brushwork with ambiguous narratives creates a space where repressed memories and desires surface. The uncanny elements in her paintings - such as a woman barefoot in a formal wood-panelled setting with her arms behind her - evoke a sense of familiarity disrupted, prompting viewers to confront their own subconscious associations.
Hardwick’s paintings, therefore, act as a mirror to the viewer’s psyche, reflecting the complexities of identity, memory, and desire. Through her art, she invites us to engage with the hidden layers of our own consciousness, making the familiar unfamiliar and prompting introspection.
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.
