Final year project
A Contemporary Vision of Hell [Read more]
Hellscape No.1
This is the first of my two main paintings that explore the concept of hell as an experience,
circumstance or situation.
This painting portrays various words and scenes that a modern viewer might associate with hell, such as death, animal agriculture, angular shapes, plastic and waste, technology and addiction amongst many others.
The aim of the painting is to capture and create an uncomfortable image of hell which the viewer may relate to as they may form part of our every day, for example, the use and obsession of social media apps.
Hellscape No.2
This is the second of my two main paintings that explore the concepts associated with modern-day hell.
This piece further explores concepts of hell interpreted by myself and other contemporary viewers, such as drugs, pollution, public speaking, bullying and pandemics.
The purpose of the piece is to illustrate that hell can be and usually is all around us and is different yet personal to each individual. While I might consider the loss of a family member as hell, one might consider isolation or silence to be hell.
Hell Is Addiction
This painting is a graphic and realistic study of three elements within the plethora of drugs and alcohol that one may become addicted to. This work comments and explores how addiction is a mental and physical battle for many and will certainly feel like hell for some.
Hell Is Technology
This piece presents nasty comments that are circulated on social media every day and observes the impact they may have on one's mental health and everyday life. Comments such as these, alongside this generations toxic mindsets, and addiction and obsession with social media can easily become a living hell for an individual who suffers from negative content that they may encounter, perceive or receive online.
Hell Is Humans
This piece is a painted depiction of a scene from the 2021 documentary 'Seaspiracy' that explores the negative environmental impact of fishing, poaching and harm to sea creatures. I wanted to portray this horribly powerful scene that depicts whales being murdered during a hunt in the Faroe Islands to remind the viewer that humans are equally capable of causing hell and not just experiencing it.
Mr. Crab
A detailed study of a caricatured crab that features in Hellscape No.1. Within my explorations, I have created a series of Bosch-style caricatured elements and creatures some of which are the allergens (this one comes under crustacean). I use them to add a humoristic twist on a possibly deadly and therefore hellish threat for those with fatal allergies. This brings to light that hell can be just around the corner in our every day and is everywhere on earth.
Mr. Mustard
A second detailed caricature looking at mustard which is another allergen. By personifying and humanising these ordinary yet deadly elements I am able to highlight the idea that hell is all around us and has the potential to affect us when we least expect it. This is a preparatory exploration for the mustard pot that appears in both Hellscape No. 1 and No.2.
Mr. Celery
A third caricature of an allergen, this time milk, a preparatory in-depth study for the celery creatures that appear in Hellscape No. 1.
Eleonore Jones
My practise explores contemporary interpretations of hell as an experience, circumstance or situation that is personal and subjective to the individual
Influenced by the Hell panel of Hieronymus Bosch's ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ my practice revolves around the contemporising of hell through the medium of painting. Rather than being just a physical place of punishment as seen in various religions, my work establishes and presents how it can be an experience, a circumstance or a situation depending on the individual. My work depicts disturbing images through the use of comedic, graphic and surrealistic elements that the viewer can engage and respond to on a personal level elevating the image of hell in both our conscious and unconscious mind.
My paintings explore the themes and words that I personally associate with hell as well as friends, family and peers, such as; loss, grief, public speaking, warfare, technology and natural disasters.
The two main pieces of my work present chaotic, hellish scenes that aim is to engage the viewers and make them feel undertones of despair, discomfort and menace within an outwardly humoristic, bizarre hell-scape that contemplates hell as an experience. Its purpose is to stimulate questions of hell within the viewer, such as what it means to them which thus engages the viewer with feelings commonly associated with hell such as fear.
I hope to utilise the skills I have gained at university towards an art career or digital marketing career and use the development in my painting style to further progress future commissions and projects as a freelance artist.
Final year project
A Contemporary Vision of Hell