Bull Scar, 2022
Top two rows
Toni-Maree Savage
Experimental Works, 2022
Oil on canvas
40 x 40 cm each
Bottom row
Toni-Maree Savage
Unprepared to be Trampled by Bulls, 2022
Oil on canvas
101.6 x 101.6 cm
Toni-Maree Savage
Bull Scar, 2022
Oil on canvas
101.6 x 101.6 cm
Artist statement
A visual exploration of the emotional impact of workplace bullying
When I think about the bullying I experienced at work, it sometimes makes me feel small and scared. Other times, I want to confront my bullies with anger. Regardless of my feelings, there is always an underlying sense of sadness and helplessness. After researching, I learned that these reactions are common for people bullied at work. To express the emotional impact of workplace bullying, I decided to use paint as my medium for my studio thesis this trimester. I started by creating a series of small experimental works, which allowed me to think more deeply about my topic. As I painted, I changed the composition, colour, and brushstrokes while considering what worked and what didn't. Through this process, I built a meaningful resolution to my studio thesis and produced six experimental works before finalising my major projects.
For my first major project, I created a piece called Unprepared to be Trampled by Bulls, 2022. This work built on my previous experimentation with a bull motif that represented the disempowerment of bullies. As I worked on this project, I realised I needed to focus on emotions like sadness, frustration, disbelief, and distress to effectively address my studio thesis. My teachers advised me to push conceptual boundaries and avoid being too literal in my composition. I kept the square canvas to reinforce the feeling of being "boxed in" as a target of workplace bullying. As I painted, the figure in the piece became a self-portrait, and I used loose brushstrokes and distorted features to convey my emotional state. I minimised detail and left white edges to create visual interest and allow for open interpretation by viewers.
I aimed to advance my studio thesis in my second major project, Bull Scar, 2022. Building on the techniques I discovered in my first major work, I created a painting that reveals a deeply personal side of myself. It is my most successful piece of the trimester, and I was pleased to hear guest artist David Humphrey (b. 1955) echo that sentiment in our one-on-one feedback session. I attribute the success of this final painting to the time and effort I invested in creating experimental works, challenging myself to produce my first large-scale piece from a vulnerable place, and reflecting on my progress and direction each week. This trimester has taught me the importance of taking the time to experiment and reflect on my art-making process and the value of being open and creating connections with viewers through my work.
During this trimester, my appreciation for figurative expressionists has grown significantly. Artists such as Frida Kahlo, Charles Blackman, Robert Dickerson, Alice Neel, and Noel McKenna have influenced me the most. I aim to depict my subjective experiences in my paintings, similar to these artists. To enhance emotional impact, I make my figures slightly distorted and naïve. Recognising the similarities in my work, I am motivated to explore figurative expressionist painting further and challenge myself. I have been painting for three years, and I am excited to see where my work takes me in the next three years.
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