Although not enrolled in the Photography Department I have been inspired by the art of one Clara Hayward. Not only an old friend but what I consider to be a very talented painter in the painting department. She uses color and form in a way that creates a connection of concept and aesthetics. Often her projects are based on the exploration of literary works and the differences between images and words. She bases a lot of her work off of unconscious thought, trying to discover the meaning of it and what happens once these thoughts are written down. Her series of images where she let her hand write what her mind was thinking over and over again was compelling to me. The stream of consciousness style of her writing on canvases and long rolls of paper created an aesthetic mess of lines and curves. It made me question text in itself as an art form. The way we produce letters and connect them to words or sounds I found very interesting. I love her work that is bright. She uses multiple mediums and sizes to produce her work but I love that she has a very distinct style. Clara uses shapes to question how to view text and how we already do. She plays with the negative space on the page just as much as the positive dark lines. I think that her dedication to questioning the subconscious and the mind, and the text we see daily is an admirable quest. I enjoy her style of abstaraction and her use of color to create a dreamworld in some of her works. Moslty I like to look at them. Her flowing yet chaotic use of paint is hypnotizing to the viewer in a very strong way.
