Art Project course gallery No. 9

Art Project: Inspired by – Angela de la Cruz

This week’s Art Project brief centred on the work of contemporary artist Angela de la Cruz. Ten years ago the Spanish-born, London based artist had her first UK solo show at the Camden Arts Centre. The exhibition consisted of a number of artworks – paintings, sculptures and objects that combine elements from both painting and sculpture (something de la Cruz is interested in). In 2005, de la Cruz suffered a brain haemorrhage and fell into a coma. Whilst comatose, she gave birth to her daughter. De la Cruz is now wheelchair-bound but runs her practice with help from assistants, and continues to exhibit her work around the world – and the traumatic incident she suffered has clearly shaped her practice in that the majority of her pieces appear broken or damaged with making and breaking her work a key part of her creative process.

Artists were invited to take inspiration from Angela de la Cruz’s work and consider words, phrases or themes around the ideas of something or someone being broken / deflated / damaged / collapsed, be it on a personal level or within a much wider context.

Here’s a selection of artwork and prepatory studies made by some of the Art Project course artists taking part in the project.

Look out for another gallery of work coming soon…

Tony Townshend – Broken Mind (Self-Portrait) Graphite on paper

Dieter – Rupture Charcoal and soft pastel on paper

Dieter – Abyss Charcoal and soft pastel on paper

Dieter – Hell Charcoal and soft pastel on paper

Vanda – Moved On Acrylic, bleach, oil pastel and flour on canvas

Chris – Untitled Mixed media

JC – Heart attack,  broken (part 1 ) Ink, bleach and acrylic on paper

JC – Repair (Part 2) Ink, bleach and hand-sown paper pieces

Lynn Laws – Rip Into Acrylic on paper

Lynn Laws – Shatter
Acrylic and collage on paper

Lynn Laws – Old Friend
Graphite on paper

Hilary – No, this really isn’t the best time to declutter
Mixed media

Jill – Grandfather’s Table – Must Get Some Glue
Ink and watercolour on paper

Jill – Broken Pot – Rare For Dad To Choose My Present Photo collage

Jane Goddard – Torn Away in 2018 Acrylic and ink on paper

Maurice – The Mirror Crack’d From Side To Side – The Lady of Shalott (Tennyson) Watercolour and collage

Maurice – Fissures I + II Hand-altered digital prints

Paula – Discarded I
Acrylic on paper and collage

Paula – Discarded II Acrylic on paper and collage

Jo Melhuish – Found Acrylic on canvas board

Jo Melhuish – Smashed Acrylic on canvas board

Jo Melhuish- Imagined Acrylic on canvas board

John Cutler – Torn Apart I Collage

John Cutler – Torn Apart II Collage

Harriet – Moth-eaten Memory Collage: paper (Country Life magazine published 6 October 1983) on paper with ink

Harriet  – Moth-eaten Memory Oil pastels and ink on paper