A Maze of Possibilities I

During a recent visit to Hayes School, A Level students discussed identity and how artists might represent their inner thoughts. They examined a number of works from the Bethlem Collection including The Maze by William Kurelek, who was our Artist in Focus in March .

Following the visit, each student made their own response to Kurelek’s painting including a commentary on the decisions they had made about style, composition and symbolic aspects. We will feature a number over the coming months.

The artist of this piece wrote …

He (Kurelek) used more of a grid/maze layout, where as I felt that everything should be mixed and not in any order, but I did include a maze. In this piece, he also included scenes of his life and the people in it in his painting, but in mine I have used more items to represent things and show symbolism. For example, I wanted to include a koi fish, as they bring and represent good luck. I also wanted to have (it) along the outside of the skull to make it seem as if it was swimming or breaking free of the skull.

I also included things like puzzle pieces to show the complicated side of what’s in my head and to represent how everything should fit together. I painted a ladder to represent the idea of the afterlife, and if there’s anything else up there, which is where the clouds come into the piece. I liked the idea of drawing an eye in the piece because that’s how everything is shown to us and it’s how we interpret those things. Lastly I decided to draw a key to represent the future and the things we don’t know.