Heather Sykes - ‘Sexism and Gender Equality’

My theme was about how women are presented and represented in art through time. I chose to focus on this because I was particularly passionate about questioning gender roles, the media and different influences people are under pressure from. I was also very interested in looking into the history about this in art, by researching a range of female artists and their contributions to the scene, especially having noticed how much more I looked into male artists in GCSE art than female artists.

I’m not sure if I have a favourite, however I really loved creating an artist copy of a black female dancer, by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. If I had to choose one of my own, I would say that I was most pleased with how my first watercolour painting of a row of unbroken glass bottles turned out, but I think my piece with the strongest message, (not my favourite to look at or complete) was a self-portrait with make-up tools pressing into my face at uncomfortable angles.

I learnt to be expressive and more daring. One of the biggest skills I took from the coursework was that I could experiment; not every piece had to be perfect, but it was really fun to try new techniques. I became particularly intrigued by using digital art techniques in my work to achieve effects I could otherwise not obtain. Some of my most enjoyable moments in the course were the times I just got to experiment, finding new tools on photoshop and with lino cuts and layering images.

To me, art means creating to express something. I think that all good art has some sort of message for its audience, whether that is something as simple as just appreciating the beauty in mundane things, all the way to great political messages hidden in art. I love art because it is endless; there is never going to be a time, and there has never been a time when art was not important or used to tell stories, express emotions or for appreciation.

After A-levels I am going to study creative writing and illustration at university. This will incorporate my love for expression and exploration, with my desire to tell stories through words and images. I am excited to continue my creative/artistic studies, before leaping into the world of unknown work (who knows where I will really end up!).