OLIVIA HEATHER

My work focuses on domestic interiors and explores the relationship between traditional women’s activity and the domestic environment. The presentation of these environments is influenced by surrealism and the notion of the hyper-real. This response is created by exaggerating ideals through repetition and colour. This can enable the possibility of creating a sense of discomfort motivated by Freud’s theory of ‘The Uncanny’ and Fisher’s notion of ‘The Eerie’. The way that I distort my imagery conflicts with the comforting stereotypes and ideals of typical domestic environments in an attempt to push the boundaries of discomfort in those interior settings. 

Bachelard’s ‘The Poetics of Space’ is very important on the influence of my work. Notions of 'Oneiric space’ and ‘Inside/Outside’ help to build the foundations of the concepts behind my paintings. 

Using photography to create my references, I hope to blur the lines between something that feels familiar and yet imaginary at the same time. In doing so, I am able to manipulate and edit my images from many different angles. This also opens up my use of artistic license, manipulating elements even further throughout the entirety of my artistic process. Employing these images as references for painting means that I can challenge the use of photography as a medium and investigate whether the information given through paint takes longer for the brain to process and whether the viewer can be made to consider the feeling of uneasiness for longer.