Olivia O'Neil

Artist biography

Hi, I'm Olivia! Throughout my undergrad I enjoyed working through different mediums and seeing my work progress over my four years at Western. I loved my experience in Practicum because it allowed me to focus on my practice, while being in constant contact with other artists my age!

This year, I mainly focused on abstracting interior spaces while exploring collage, pattern, shape and texture. In my studio space, I was always planning compositions, working through different materials, and painting with oil and acrylic.

I am inspired by interior design in all of its complexities: colour, texture, pattern, shape, and style. A living space is something that is personal and unique to an individual, and I’m interested in the way each item within a space contributes to an overall aesthetic. Interior design is a very “man-made” practice, and my work focuses on taking 3D spaces to create a 2D composition that is more organic and less structured. I enjoy experimenting with the same components of interior design, but in a way that is abstract and less recognizable; this creates an overall mood to a painting that is similar to a living space.

My process includes looking at interior design photography from magazines, and then sketching to create my own compositions. As a work progresses, I decide where to include elements of texture and pattern. My paintings involve aspects of collage to emphasize a 2D aspect of a 3D space. I work on large canvases to allow the viewer enough space to immerse themselves into a painting. My process of layering and collage is relevant to the overall subject of interior design.

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