Roman Catholic icons

I was brought up as a Catholic and attended Catholic school so religious images and symbols were always in view . I no longer practise this faith but i still have a love of the imagery , the campness , sugary colours and the surreal qualities fascinate me , its all so kitsch and as a child it had a massive impact on me !

As a mature student i have found that this course is becoming a journey of self discovery, i no longer see it as career based but more as an opportunity for me to figure stuff out. I want this project to be thought provoking and interesting so I'm using religion as a vehicle to make my point.Catholicism has many flaws in my opinion and it is only just starting to be held accountable for all its wrong doings. It is fundamentally a tool to control peoples behavior through guilt and fear and we need to ask questions regarding the behaviour of the Catholic hierarchy!!!!!!!!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2009/jun/09/spanish-art-national-gallery-exhibition?picture=348593276

self directed brief

Child of the 70s

For this brief i wanted to look at influences from my childhood , i think we all get nostalgic as we get older and being a visual person a lot of the images from the 1970s have impacted on my work. It was a decade of vivid colours and wacky designs .We only had 3 TV channels so the programmes were limited but some of the children's shows were truly a sight to behold!

Julie Arkell

Julie is an English textile artist, she uses paper mache to create her quirky distinctive art and does all the work by hand. She uses discarded toys and found materials to produce her craft/folk art style eccentric characters and whimsical items . Julie is based in London and has written a book , her work sells for around £200 to £300 per item ! I really love it , the vintage fabrics , the knitted clothing and the newspaper print its very striking and utterly bonkers!

Boy George

I love George , have done since i was a kid and boy did he communicate his message in a visual way. His first TV appearance caused confusion as to his gender due to his make up ,hair and clothes people had never seen any one like him on main stream TV. George remained ambiguous about his sexuality for a long time but his appearance was communicating loud and clear. He is not shy to voice his views but he also uses his music and his style of dress to express him self . I love him because he is not afraid to be an individual , he does what he wants to do (despite the consequences and the fact that he is very sensitive and really does care about what people think of him!) and his personality is as big and bold as his make up!