STEPHANIE NEVILLE


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here not here



2012



Concept



A retrospective look on relationships came about on the celebration of my seventh wedding anniversary. Initially intrigued by the idea of “the seven year itch” my focus shifted to absence in a relationship and the resulting myriad of emotions. Residing in the Middle East with its transitory lifestyle, I questioned the effect of this migration on relationships. My husband travels extensively and I find myself fluctuating from a singleton to a wife with him being here and then not here. There is a re-adjustment that takes place with every return: a change in routine and lifestyle attitudes. By researching absence in relationships through Rachel Ward, I identified with the general consensus on the apparent emotional roller coaster resulting from absence. My own experience with an absent partner was expressed by employing different mediums. I therefore drew inspiration from a variety of artists: Ghada Amer, Tracey Emin, Chiharu Shiota and Marina Abramovic. Hand embroidered portraits serves as a process of remembrance, while monotypes capture my emotional thoughts during those periods of absence.


Catalog

Monoprints



inspired by Tracey Emin



Emin’s monoprints are “urgent, quick in its transmission of emotion”. Doyle describes Emin’s art as “confessional, that it is personal and tautological. She is her art and her art is her”. Inspired by Emin’s urgency and honesty in her work, my monotype series is a visual expression of emotions. Personal thoughts were drawn immediately, to translate an honest response to my relational experiences. The technique of drawing in reverse on the back of the paper connotes to the thoughts in the back of my mind. Miss-spelled words, crude language and unsophisticated imagery denote the careless thoughts and the urgency with which it is constantly replaced. Comments fluctuate between positive and negative, when my husband is here and not here. These explicit confessions emphasise the tumultuous relationship as a result of a constantly absent partner.



Portraits



inspired by Ghada Amer



Through stitching by hand I am translating the obsessive, constant thinking and missing of an absent partner: trying to stitch together a life and memories. The movement of the needle- in and out, translates the cycles- here/ not here. The fraying of the thread relates to the loss of memory and the negligence of the relationship. Unfinished portraits signify the interruption of routine with his return. The mixture of abstract and semi-realistic portraits is connected to my emotional response at the time of stitching. I used a water soluble stabiliser as ground for the embroidery, which allowed me to preserve only the stitched thread. The removal of the ground conveys the isolation and disconnection between partners while the residual thread denotes the memories left behind. The added text is keywords from traditional wedding vows, stitched during a period of absence. This reminder of the vows made resonates with the traditional meaning of the embroidery technique. The portraits are hung to be viewed from both sides, echoing the duality present in relationships: what is shown publicly is not necessarily a true reflection of life behind closed doors.





Po Box 62298
dubai, uae



stephanieneville.com