MFA - Master of Fine Art Degree

Appallingly Appealing

My work aims to disrupt and challenge the traditions of modern viewing practice and aim to let viewers enjoy and experience the work in an environment without restrictions or imposed viewing rules. I want to contribute to the endless discussion about what constitutes a painting through an open invitation to touch. I feel that the cultural restraints concerning touch, combined with a reliance on sight, and the uncontrollable forces of technology, has detached us from the sensuous world and ultimately from ourselves.

Multi-sensory paintings provide a holistic experience; facilitating physical touching and the intertwining of mind and body. The reciprocal action of touching creates a moment of vulnerability in which the viewer physically connects with the object. This physical connection facilitates the circumstance which allows intimacy; unleashing elemental qualities which can be unconsciously pleasurable and lead to associations of narratives and lived experiences.

Gitte Steen Andersen – January 2010