Each yearÌýAesthetica selects an undergraduate student from York St John University for its Fine Arts Graduate Prize. The recipient for 2016, Harriet Sutcliffe, impressed judges with her contemplative video piece, Uncertainty (2016). AddressingÌýa range of psychological and physical states,Ìýthe work uses intimate filmmaking to highlightÌýthe restorativeÌýpower of nature’s aesthetics. Based in York,ÌýSutcliffe’s practiceÌýexplores themes ofÌýendurance and recognisesÌýthe importance of taking the time to heal. We speak to the recent Fine Art graduate about the inspiration behind her projects and find out about her plans for the future.
A:ÌýYour graduate piece, Uncertainty, explores the power of distraction and remembrance through the moving image. What inspired you to create this work and also to use the medium of film?
HS: Uncertainty captures the place between life and death, and more specifically references my mother’s journey dealing with both cancer and loss. The film is very honest; cancer is extremely debilitating, and everyday the media, the body and society remind those affected of their illness. Uncertainty shades these constant worries, highlights the importance of taking time to heal and shows the world’s beautiful finer details. As humans we can experience so much more than just survival: we can realise aesthetic beauty in the world, and we can take pleasure in being and in turn find positivity.
A:ÌýAs a recent student at York St John University, what will you take with you from your three years of studying on the Fine Art course? How do you hope to continue and expand your practice beyond university?
HS: University has equipped me with many skills, aiding my transition from a student into a confident artist. In fact, it is only in the last two years of university that I have worked with film. I would love to carry on with experimental film full-time; art lives within me and I will endeavour to create. For myself, the creative process has been a coping strategy and is something I will always engage with. Uncertainty illustrates the healing power of nature’s aesthetics, and my own healing comes from taking pleasure in creating something beautiful,Ìýwhether that be visually or conceptually. Expanding my practice, I would likeÌýto work with people whose stories I have little or no knowledge of beforehand. It would be interesting to see how this would affect my emotional response and its translation through film.
A:ÌýMuch of your practice reflects on themes of mental health and psychological endurance. Why are these ideas important to you, and what message do you seek to offer audiences?
HS:ÌýHaving always held a deep interest in how the mind copes, my portfolio of work has tried somewhat to place an unknowing person into a state of understanding. I suppose its that feeling of when you realise how much bigger the world is. There is a German word that perfectly describes this: ‘sonder’, meaning everyone has a story. Through my work I congratulate endurance, recognise what the subject has been through and with that show them my support. My message would be that a little recognitionÌýcan go a long way, and in creating art I am paralleling that of talking about anÌýissue. In turn, this processÌýreleases pressure and allows the world to engage with the harder facts of life.
A:ÌýYour work focuses on the delicate subtleties of its subjects and surroundings. What draws you to this gentle, and at times abstract, style of filmmaking?
HS: The key themeÌýbehindÌýUncertaintyÌýisÌýthe act of taking time to heal, along with a recognition ofÌýthe beauty that surrounds usÌý²¹²Ô»å a simpleÌýneed to capture it. Taking a momentary break from the everyday to really see the world in all its aesthetic detail, acts as a meditative tool and enablesÌýus to heal. The idea of ridding ourselves of the thoughts and responsibilities that engulf us to instead just look, accept and recover plays a major role in the development of my work.
A:ÌýYou were recently selected as the recipient of the Aesthetica & York St John Fine Arts Graduate Prize, as well as the Eleanor Worthington Prize in 2015. What does this recognition mean to you?
HS: There is no end to what these prizes have meant to me: confidence, pride, happiness, to name just a few. In consulting largelyÌýemotional routes throughout my practice, I have positionedÌýmyself within my work. My own feelings, empathy and understanding shape the emotionalÌý²¹²Ô»å aestheticÌýoutcome. ThisÌýrecognition rewards my work with purpose. It’s easy to feel small in this world, but these awards show that people are interested in seeing the lives of others, have a willingness to understand and support, and in turn create a community.
See more of Harriet Sutcliffe’s work:Ìý.
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Credits
1. Stills from Uncertainty (2016).
