TM Lighting has collaborated for the second year with University of the Arts London’s Made in Arts London to present their annual exhibition launching the ‘2019 Collection’. The exhibition showcases art and design from over 30 UAL students, and throughout the duration we will be providing Artist Spotlights to find out more about the artists and their work.
Artist Spotlight: Caroline Streatfield
- UAL College: Wimbledon
- Course: MA Painting
- Graduation Year: 2019
Can you tell us a bit about the main themes and ideas behind your work?
Drawing on themes from the former Czechoslovakia and surrounding countries, my work is an exploration of narratives, whether truthfully told or embellished by being handed down through generations. I’m interested in how we remember fragments of time and why certain memories remain clear in our minds, as if they happened yesterday whilst other moments can hardly be recalled.
What is the inspiration behind the pieces in the Collection?
I was inspired by stories of Eastern Europe as told by immigrants from the former communist states and I wanted to tell their stories in an honest interpretation.
Which artists inspire you or have had some influence on your work?
I have been influenced by Diego Velázquez, Édouard Manet and contemporary artists such as Chantal Joffe, Jenny Saville, Matthew Krishanu and Michaël Borremans.
What feelings or response do you hope viewers will gain from seeing your work in the exhibition?
I hope the viewer will gain an insight into the lost stories from Eastern Europe. I want to capture the feeling of the past within the narrative through the application of the paint.
Your works are oil paintings. What inspires you particularly about this medium?
Working with oil paint inspires me to take risks by trying different methods of applying the paint. I also like that I’m using a medium that has been used for centuries as this anchors’ me to the past histories of paintings.
Awards:
- OHOS associate member artist 2019
- Recipient of the Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust award 2018
- Shortlisted for National Open Art prize 2017