Ailith Stewart

It is theorised that art began as an attempt to understand the aberrant productions of the mind, such as dreams and hallucinations, by physicalising them as images. This theory certainly describes my artistic practice: the end goal is not a single finished piece but the exploration and consolidation of ideas. 

In conjunction with my dissertation, my practice this year has explored the question of the purpose of art, finding a meaningful answer in the idea that art is a tool of social problem solving and stress relief. By adopting the visual languages of “important” art and applying them to common doodles, I aim to question concepts of value, and lead the viewer towards acknowledging the experience of creation as “worth” more than the end product of a valuable art object. The awe and reverence around ancient cave paintings is invoked through visual reference, while the vandalistic act of graffiti is encouraged, placing value on the creative experience of the audience and their enjoyment of the simple act of drawing.