‘Prey’ (2019-2020), ‘Predator’ (2020), and a collection of small accompanying paintings ‘Artefacts’ (2019-2020)
Morbid fascination has become an almost intrinsic part of our society, with the leading news headlines documenting melancholic and shocking stories. My paintings hone in on this often subconscious feeling, whilst subsequently encapsulating the ominous, and often ambiguous aspects of a serial killer, through the hyper-realistic scenes. Ted Bundy was often described as handsome and charismatic, and the unsettling normality of his personality is something I attempted to capture through the highly ordinary compositions. The juxtaposing macabre narrative not only instils the sense of morbid fascination within the audience but questions the ambiguity of the stereotypical psychopathic serial killer.
‘Prey’ and ‘Predator’: Oil on canvas, 0.9×1.4m
‘Artefacts’: Oil on Canvas, 5x7inch
Artist Bio:
The ability to completely immerse an audience in a two-dimensional painting or drawing is a prevalent theme throughout Hannah’s practice. Encapsulating contemporary dramatic scenes through traditional painting and drawings techniques enable Hannah to produce fascinating outcomes, with strong narratives and use of practical skills. Her oeuvre largely focuses on photorealistic depictions of figures and portraiture, whilst recently focusing on still life.
Artists from the Renaissance era such as Caravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi and da Vinci have and still continue to be a huge inspiration for her work, however, she also draws on contemporary artists such as Chuck Close and Jonathan Wateridge.
A recurring element within Hannah’s practice is the use of Chiaroscuro lighting to emphasise the drama within the composed scenes, whilst highlighting the features of the figures and expressions.
Hannah’s artworks often involve contemporary contexts encouraging the audience to question their own position in society in relation to the work. An example of this can be seen in her paintings ‘Prey’ and ‘Predator’ (2020) which questions the audience’s morbid fascination and preconceptions of the stereotypical serial killer, focusing on their ambiguity.
Hannah believes it is important to focus on modern societal issues, whilst continuing to develop and utilise Renaissance painting and drawing techniques, thus combining the traditional with the contemporary.
