Below is a review of my work which I found very insightful, and helpful — it will help me articulate what my work is about. It was written by Sylvie Lloyd, who is doing a Foundation in Art at Leeds College of Art.
“Churchill says she works inspired by "syntropy rather than entropy", meaning a system of bringing things together rather than the ideas of randomness often examined.
Her work has a very meditative, considered atmosphere which really creates a calming feeling and a beautiful visual effect. The way she defines and depicts the patterns of the water in such a striking way while still making it look so fluid is really inspiring. The dark, bold, graphic lines manage to create such a soothing look in an entire piece. This really helped me consider how to make the glyphs bold and simplistic but still have a watery, meditative effect.
She describes her work as "focusing not on the unknown, but on what is most alive". I think this sets her apart from a lot of other artists, while a lot of people tackle the void of what cannot be expressed or understood, she works from what is present in every force around us. It reads in how her work is so simple and unpretentious but so beautiful and natural to the living experience. Meditation, to me, has a similar feeling and seeks to invoke this idea of 'what is most alive', so I was really eager to reference this atmosphere in my work.
Churchill has said before that what she is doing in her work is "Learning water script". This, to me, is a really beautiful concept. The idea that there is a language and a script, an alphabet, to be found and learned in water gave me lots to work on for the glyphical alphabet I was drawing out of my action.”
It’s important to me to know that my work has an impact on people — a positive one. It’s often hard to know.
am particularly pleased that she picked up on the focus on “what is most alive”. The energy all around us, within us, within all things. It is a mystery but very close at hand.
I haven’t used rain water in my paintings yet, but I certainly will! It’s a lovely idea. So soft and natural.
