Olivia Drain - MA Fine Art
Compression to Creation
Olivia investigates the quiet intensity of overlooked materials, shredded/crumpled paper, tangled forms, errant marks, translating them into obsessive acts of observation and re-construction. These drawings are not mere representations; they are meditations on accumulation, failure, and persistence.
Each piece begins with what might be dismissed: a heap of discarded strips, an accidental pile. Through meticulous layering and rendering, she reframe these fragments into subjects of intense scrutiny. The process becomes a choreography of attention — line by line, shadow by shadow — collapsing the boundary between the accidental and the intentional.
In resisting the impulse to "tidy" or idealise, they highlight the chaos and rhythm inherent in what we throw away. The use of vibrant colours and controlled lighting brings vitality and dignity to these forms, transforming visual noise into language. Through slow labor, she elevate the disposable into something permanent, simultaneously absurd, intimate, and strangely reverent.
