Ella Brindle
Gallery, 2020
Acrylic paint
16 x 20 inches, 40 x 30 inches, 24 x 20 inches
The idea of “bad art” troubles me. What makes something “bad art”? Is it the technique? The environment? In my thesis project I explored these ideas. Through painting spaces such as hospitals, motel rooms, and bus stops, I have furthered my interest in spaces and the objects housed within them. I chose to paint spaces that represent a lack of permanence and security. When important events take place in a room, one picks up on small details and qualities of the room. Whether the events that occur are good or not, the setting of a room impacts the events that take place in it. Motels are often associated with affairs and vacations, offering emotions of both betrayal and relaxation. Similarly, hotels represent a place of both rehabilitation and tragedy. Bus stops offer both coverage and a port for new beginnings. Within the illusionistic spaces created, I place images of “bad art.” Paintings of paintings if you will. Using Google I searched for “bad art” and used the resulting images as source material for my paintings within paintings. By placing images of art within paintings I intend to allow for deeper analysis of the room the painting is in rather than the painting itself. Creating spaces also allows the viewer to connect to the painting relating some life events to a possible situation in the room itself. Art surrounds us, good and bad, it provides a backdrop for all our lived experiences even if it often goes unnoticed.
