Artist Statement

My work explores the detrimental effects of perfectionism, and an all-consuming commitment to creative passions, on young people’s developing minds. Here, I sought to represent the psychological tension I have experienced in a relentless struggle to achieve. Evoking feelings of disassociation and anxiety, the floating figures reflect the forlorn descent of the mind, as it loops and obsesses, seeking escapism in the macabre. Balancing these concepts are the soft, textural washes of watercolour, which emit a sense of tranquillity and acceptance. The dripping wax crayons reflect my desire to revisit childhood, when merely producing a scribble was a creative success.

Artwork Process

The figures were drafted digitally then sketched on Stonehenge paper to make use of the translucent and natural textural variance of layered watercolour washes. Each figure was then scanned into Clip Studio Paint to create a single frame. The figures in each frame were digitally cut, moved and rotated multiple times, with each movement saved as a new frame, to generate the 50 or so frames that were looped to create the purposefully disjointed animation. These loops were then imported into Premiere Pro and overlaid with the footage of dripping wax and the stressed sounds of strings reversed.

About the Artist

Name: Grace Talbot
School: Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
Artwork: Committed
Media: Single-channel video, 16:9, colour, sound, 1:05 minutes

I have always enjoyed media that enables me to connect with the imagery and feel deeply for the subject, whether joyous or sad. When I create an artwork or animation, my aim is to provide a catalyst for audiences to reflect on and explore their own feelings. My artistic style has grown through a focus on beautiful colour palettes and textures and the exploration of media including watercolour, pencil, digital works and film. I draw inspiration from a range of historical and contemporary artists and embrace social media as a means of sharing my artworks.