No contact

No contact

by Bridget Evans

International Welsh Artist

No contact by Bridget Evans

Oils on black canvas with silver gilding.

Created over a period of a month up to six plus weeks in January and February 2025.

£1800 For sale

Synopsis:

"No contact' by Bridget Evans

Oils on black canvas, silver gilded.

Jan Feb 2025

Synopsis:

Inspired by Michelangelo's creation of Adam. Artist Bridget Evans wanted to create the work about touch and the scenario of no touch, no connection, no communication yet the possibility of reaching as the hands break away.

The whole work was created originally with both hands touching, however International Welsh Artist Bridget Evans, thought thoroughly about the theme of breaking away by placing hands on different canvases. The canvases were to present the piece 2.5 inches approx. apart just like Michelangelo's work in the Sistene chapel, in Italy.

In response to the work the Artist Bridget Evans, went on to say, "The work has helped me understand the dynamics of non-communication and it's purpose to stay in touch however, breaking away the canvases , has given the conflicting thoughts of whether that staying in communication with another person such as an ex-partner or formal lover is the correct way to go about things".

The Process took approximately over a month to create and was exploring the themes of original works by Michelangelo. Yet to write a more in-depth paper on her finding and exploration of the workmanship and creation and why artist Bridget Evans chose the famous hands touch to express loss and need.

More in-depth discussion:

Michelangelo's artwork of creation of Adam is seen displayed and beautifully painted on Sistine chapel. I, personally as a artist has yet to visit such great works and workmanship of paintings and their techniques.

Upon choosing an subject to look at and perhaps putting my own spin on Michelangelo's great works, may cause questioning and confliction, as I adapted my own painting to suit the theme and thoughts of what I was trying to probably prevail.

I barely remember the Christian religion and biblical stories - yet alone, one of the fundamental stories involving the creation of Adam and Eve. And much to my surprise, I was drawn to the workmanship and detailing of Michelangelo's work by pure coincidence.

During 2024, within a short term between, mid summer to winter - I hardly laid my eyes and hands on my talents, creativity and appeal to paint. Also during these brief months as an artist, I had seemed to turn my back on my own passion and focus on a short burst romance that lasted no longer than three months. Once it came to an end , sheer loss and devastating of emotional feelings surfaced within myself and this is where creativity was sparked to research ideas towards themes of no contact.

Creation of Adam by Michelangelo

When I researched topics, I found myself falling into the renaissance era and years of delicate art that I found to be a great inspiration for my work and subjects of loss and connection at the time. Michelangelo's' creation of Adam, told the story well of communication and it's hands of this famous painting was sheer greatness to the theme of inability to approach or touch.

The hands has a gap between theme that spoke volumes of connectivity and distance. And this is as I saw as a confliction. The subject was chosen and I had the idea to recreate such an amazing piece of work myself.

The process

The process:

Recreating Michelangelo was a huge task and high expectations of being able to achieve a similar quality of work to the extreme famous artist. When shopping for canvas I chose a series of boards. And was drawn to the black canvas that has been on offer in the store. The items were bought, and taken to my makeshift studio. This was likely to be left, however I considered the black canvases as part of my work.

Looking back at this choice, I honestly feel the black canvases reflected my depression and inability to talk to people whom I wished to during the last several months of that relationship and creativity that was produced during the whole process.

The pencil marks were applied and the idea was shared with a small amount of Facebook audience for critique. In my idea, I joined the two singular canvases together to create a long length reach of pencil work and imagery.

Critique was powerful from friends and family and as I announced the pencil would be painted over. Many asked for the marks to remain and the drawing to be untouched.

Colouring in

The paint work applied was oils and my choices of colouring was blues and delicate pinks mixed in a thin layer that would give shadow and contrasting shades of layers that would place shadow-work and the dark application to the black canvas.

The application of colour and layers took several weeks to define. During these weeks, I would revisit the canvas, working palette colours and application to the drawing and development of the painting.

Before silver leafing

The painting was finished and almost was kept with dark background. But in a change of decision a silver leafing was added. This was a last minute decision and also a new technique to apply onto canvas. The idea was to apply the silver leafing smoothly.

The silver wrinkled up and created a moon like surface. The crinkled silver was like coal. The surface rough and yet so smooth! The crumble of silver. The whole concept gave depth and meaning in the end. The look at the deeper meaning really connected to lead to a disconnection.

The whole creation was built up on pulling away and retracting. The works really had symbolic meaning to the artist. The whole concept looked at farewells and goodbyes. The fragmented pulling of the canvases away from each other significantly offered a distance to no longer unable to reach.

No contact, was inspired initially by grief and letting go of communications surrounding old relationships. The work of grief of mining is a centre point in previous installation works and paintings, the whole grief look is a main outlook at the fundamentals of how community is disbursing and is no longer available for some within the towns and cities. The non existent contact is another reflection of how the work of this particular piece interrelates with subjects within this matter.

International Welsh Artist Bridget Evans, was born in 1982 and raised in the county of Bridgend, South Wales. From a young age developed an natural talent for artistry and ended up later on in life doing a Bachelors Degree in Creative Therapies in Education. This degree not only specialized in the Art subject but covered a range of other areas including Dance and Music.

The range of diplomas that the artist Bridget holds open ups to a variety of creative skills. She also has had the ability to hold exhibitions and installations throughout the broad south of UK and online. The works exhibited include Jane Austen House in Chawton, A series of galleries within main London. And recently taking part in a star-studded Welsh celebrity turn out within Neath, Queens Road Gallery of South Wales. Celebrities included BBC weather lady Sian Lloyd and CBE Roy Noble who presents on BBC Wales.

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