I am fascinated by the power an artist holds to elicit an emotional experience. Emotions are universal regardless of personal background and it is particularly expressed through a contrast of striking emotions portrayed in my work; vulnerability and discomfort is paired with warmth and comfort. The relationship between my art and the viewer is more than a visual experience that connects with individuals on a highly personal and emotional level, compelling the viewer to experience the temporal nature of emotions.

The children in each artwork are singular subjects, presented alone, with the aim of highlighting the solitary experience of feelings. However, these portraits of children crying are non sequentially arranged to integrate elements of comfort, childhood and familiarity. By presenting the viewer with such juxtaposed feelings, the temporal nature of emotion is experienced. The oil and pencil works were left unframed and pinned directly onto the wall to navigate the viewer’s attention to the raw display of emotion within the pieces. These striking emotions demonstrate how uninhibited emotion is a quality of our childhood. 

This exploration was prompted by my younger siblings as I noticed that their lack of restraint in expressing emotion reflects the nature of all children. As an adolescent, I have been taught to conceal certain emotions and to rationalise them. As we grow older, we become embarrassed to cry, afraid to be disappointed and apprehensive of experiencing happiness. Yet children as we all were once before, freely express and articulate through emotion rather than words.

The work is in a curved arrangement surrounding the viewer. This highlights how the nature of one complex emotion relates to another although experienced at different moments in time. Each artwork stirs feelings ranging from distress to intense comfort at successive moments. These artworks guide the viewer to recall their uninhibited display of emotion as a child. The intention is for individuals to re-evaluate the restraint of their emotions in the present. This demonstrates how easily emotions can spontaneously change as the viewer’s experience of comfort and discomfort are easily altered with the interaction of each piece from left to right.

To fully comprehend the impermanence of emotions, one has to first undergo that experience. Each selection of artwork was created with intentions to contribute to the viewer’s emotional experience. The first three portraits are arranged together and painted on paper to allow the tears to be the focal point and enhance feelings of intimidation. This uneasiness is arranged next to works such as the film photographs that induce a strong sense of familiarity. I photographed with film as it transfers exposures of light onto film which in itself is also a transfer of comforting emotions onto viewer. However, this comfort is immediately dissolved as an even larger child crying amplifies the discomfort at the start. This sudden alteration of emotions is persistent throughout the exhibition.

As a result of the pandemic, I was unable to photograph my own reference photos of toddlers. Instead, I referred to photographs of toddlers by Jill Greenberg, an American photographer for the children in oil and pencil artworks. I used my own style and abilities as an artist to confront viewers with the unpleasantness of children we choose to avoid. By attuning a variety of mediums such as pencil, oil, charcoal and sculpture to best convey the intentions of each art piece, the momentary permanence of emotions are presented. The viewer is then able to be emotionally attuned to the feelings that each piece elicits. The choice of coloured film was to highlight the vibrancy within routine of everyday activities but the particular choice of black and white film, stems from the candid display of the momentary joy and warmth from family captured onto the film without colour influencing the emotions.

Emotion is predominantly explored through the parallel of antithetical emotions in the selection and arrangement of artwork. The variety of mediums and artwork selected explore and immerse the viewers in their understanding of how restrained yet volatile our emotions have become. Ultimately, I aim for viewers to experience the labile nature of emotions in order to stimulate a dialogue with self; reflecting and deepening their interpretations of their own feelings.