Caitlyn Laye

BA (Hons) Fine Art

My artwork was initially inspired by the rave scene which is usually an intense environment of music, colour and lights. I decided to recreate the feelings that my experience evoked, with the use of illuminative acrylics and spray paints on canvas. As spray painting and graffiti is highly established within the rave culture, I decided this would be one of the main medias I would work with. It also allows me to paint in a free, uncontrollable way, which compliments my concept of recreating my phenomenological experience. Each painting is created at a fast pace in order to keep its random, sporadic design. My work is made to induce a psychedelic like experience for the viewers when experienced under the settings of a dark room, Ultra-Violet lighting and loud base heavy music, which is how I present my exhibition space when preparing for a show. An artist that inspired my way of presenting was Katharina Grosse as she creates an immersive experience for spectators by using spray paints on sheets and then draping them all over the room filling it with colour making it almost dream like. My practice is made in response of my first experience of freedom and normality after the 2 years of confinement due to the Covid outbreak. I found that from creating and observing my paintings, it gave me the same feelings of escaping the ‘real world’ and its problems that my experience in this rave produced, which is a phenomenological experience that I want to give the people who are viewing my work.


Ysbrydolwyd fy ngwaith celf yn wreiddiol gan y byd ‘rave’ sydd fel arfer yn amgylchedd dwys o gerddoriaeth, lliw a goleuadau. Rwyf wedi penderfynu ail-greu’r teimladau a gynhyrfwyd gan fy mhrofiad, drwy ddefnyddio acrylig goleuol a phaent chwistrell ar gynfas. Am fod peintio chwistrell a graffiti wedi’u sefydlu’n gryf o fewn y diwylliant partïon gwyllt, penderfynais y byddai hyn yn un o’r prif gyfryngau ar gyfer fy ngwaith. Mae hefyd yn rhoi cyfle i mi beintio mewn dull rhydd, afreolus, sy’n cyd-fynd â’r cysyniad o greu fy mhrofiad ffenomenolegol. Caiff bob paentiad ei greu’n gyflym er mwyn cadw’r cynllun ar hap, ysbeidiol. Mae fy ngwaith yn cael ei wneud i ysgogi profiad seicadelig ar gyfer y gwylwyr o’i weld o fewn lleoliad ystafell dywyll, golau Uwch-fioled a cherddoriaeth bas trwm uchel, sef y modd rwy’n cyflwyno fy ngofod arddangos wrth baratoi ar gyfer sioe. Artist a ysbrydolodd y modd rwy’n cyflwyno fy ngwaith oedd Katharina Grosse am ei bod yn creu profiad ymdrochol ar gyfer gwylwyr drwy ddefnyddio paent chwistrell ar gynfasau cyn eu gosod ar hyd a lled yr ystafell gan ei lenwi â lliw fel rhyw fath o freuddwyd. Seilir fy ymarfer ar ymateb i fy mhrofiad cyntaf o ryddid a normalrwydd wedi 2 flynedd yn gaeth yn sgil Covid. Canfyddais fod creu a sylwi ar fy mheintiadau yn rhoi’r un ymdeimlad i mi â dianc o’r ‘byd go iawn’ a’i broblemau ag yr oedd y ‘rave’ yn ei roi i mi, sy’n brofiad ffenomenolegol rwy’n dymuno ei roi i’r bobl sy’n dod i weld fy ngwaith.


• https://www.instagram.com/caitlynlayeart

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