KIERSTEN EAGAN
CAAF Residency st[art]@Art Central, September – October 2008
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The desire to draw was innate in me and I began attempting to draw people as soon as I could hold a pencil. From the days of sneaking out of my crib until the present day, this passion for portraiture has remained, evolving and developing with me as I grow. In 2003 I picked up a paintbrush which led to my affair with colour. I now spend my time alternating between painting and drawings.
In my current works I am experimenting with the combination of portraiture and text. I have always been captivated by the human face and my inclusion of text is for me an extension of the human mind onto canvas. The layering and overlapping of text is symbolic of the different layers of a persons mind with its varying levels of consciousness occurring simultaneously.
My text portraits have replaced my hand written diaries as my outlet about my personal life and observations on the world addressing a vast array of themes. Similar to my diary and the corners of a persons mind, not all of my words are meant to be read and are often written so this is difficult if not impossible.
I love working with fluorescent paint and using dramatic colour combinations which immediately demand attention. This use of colour combined with my subject matter is a unique union influenced by a collision of traditional and contemporary art with influences ranging from renaissance masters to current urban and street artists.