Gemma Jouques

Beauty and decay; permanence in a moment; familiarity without consistency. It has been these themes, the universal reality of disintegration and decay, and the implications of time, that are fundamental to me and my practice. My work seeks to investigate the transient nature of our surroundings and the footprints we leave behind, touching upon memory, absence, destruction and uncertainty.

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Finished Piece

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Close Up’s of Details

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Close Ups of Detail

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Finished Piece

Overall I am really pleased with how this piece turned out. The concept was inspired by the work of Maggi Hambling; I wanted to recreate the Icelandic landscape by use of layering and the incorporation of materials such as expanding foam and metal sheet.

I used a palette symbolic of the Icelandic landscape - blue black and yellow (fire and ice). The brushwork is fluid much like the ever transitioning scenery. I enjoy the way in which I can leave parts of the metal sheet bare, exposed and reflective, and I can also play around with how translucent I decide to make my paint. 

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Progression of work

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Progression of Work

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After getting to grips with the way expanding foam works, I decided to work on another piece that would incorporate this material. Combining both expanding foam and the aluminium sheet, I wanted to create a painting that was replicate of the Icelandic landscape. 

My research into the work of Maggi Hambling had also inspired me to use a particular method of brushwork. Her paintings look almost three dimensional in places because of the thickness of the paint, so I used the expanding foam in specific areas in order to create this allusion of layering. 

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Finished Experiment with Expanding Foam

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Close Up’s of Expanding Foam Texture

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Experiments with Expanding Foam

As part of my ongoing investigation into materials and process, I had played around with the material of expanding foam. This was as a result of it being recommended to me as a way of producing the desired texture I want in my canvases without the weight.

This piece was just a trial piece where I was experimenting with the way the expanding foam worked, how much control I was able to have and drying times. I painted this piece because it reminded me of rock / geographical formations.

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Application to Ashurst Emerging Art Prize 2018

I would like to enter this competition as it appeals specifically to the medium of my practice, with many previous winners being painters, and is an opportunity to enhance my national and international profile whilst studying on the course.

For me, while my practice verges on sculpture and textiles, it is the method of painting that is always at the very core of my work. I would value highly the chance to participate in a prestigious national competition, particularly as an opportunity to test myself in a challenging environment.

Pieces for Application:

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Application to the Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize 2018

I decided to apply for another competition because I am interesting in the possibility of expanding and adapting my artistic profile.  

The Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize 2018 will be awarded to artists that show significant potential, interesting ideas, a relevant message and skillful execution. We understand that talented artists exist in many forms, so endeavour to appeal to emerging artists of all ages and career paths, whether student, graduate, full-time or part-time, and from any country.

Ashurst's aim in sponsoring the Emerging Artist Prize and Emerging Artist Programme is to find, build and support the careers of talented international emerging artists and get their art seen by a wider audience.

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Tyneham Village

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Tyneham Village

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Tyneham Village

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Tyneham Village

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Visit to Tyneham Village 1st January 2018

In order to support both my creative practice and my research (with particular reference to my research report) I decided to take a trip to a recently abandoned village. For me this was a great opportunity to experiment with photography a little; I enjoy photography and consider it to be an important part of my creative practice, as it often feeds my paintings. Furthermore, as I am writing a section of my dissertation on ‘the modern ruin’, it made complete sense to be able to support this text with a primary source of inspiration.

History

Tyneham is a ghost village in south Dorset, England, near Lulworth on the Isle of Purbeck. It remains a civil parish, and is one of a handful of parishes in England with a population of zero.

The village and 7,500 acres (30 km2) of surrounding heathland and chalk downland around the Purbeck Hills, were requisitioned just before Christmas 1943 by the then War Office (now MoD) for use as firing ranges for training troops. 225 people were displaced, the last person leaving a notice on the church door:

Please treat the church and houses with care; we have given up our homes where many of us lived for generations to help win the war to keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly.

This measure was supposed to be temporary for the duration of World War II, but in 1948 the Army placed a compulsory purchase order on the land and it has remained in use for military training ever since. Though littered with scrap used as targets, and subject to regular shelling, the land has become a haven for wildlife as it has been free from farming and development. In 1975, after complaints from tourists and locals, the Ministry of Defence began opening the village and footpaths across the ranges at weekends and throughout August. Many of the village buildings have fallen into disrepair or have been damaged by shelling and in 1967 the then Ministry of Works pulled down the Elizabethan manor house, though the church remains intact, and has a stained-glass window by Martin Travers. The church and school house have since been preserved as museums.