Nadine Riddle

My body of work focuses on conveying the general theme of horror, and its many sub-genres and intricacies.  My intention was to use this theme as a way to expose the audience to a variety of fears, whether or not that is a fear the viewer themself has.  I have always been interested in the various genres of horror, and the many ways in which they can be interpreted.  Although many of my artworks include supernatural subject matter, I wanted the fears represented to be based on real, modern issues and fears.  Some of my artworks focus on common horror tropes and fears, such as haunted houses and strange monsters, while others serve as commentary on ideas ranging from the dangers of technology, to manipulation and the abuse of power, to the corruption of our youth.  My hope with my commentary-based art is that, by portraying real problems in a supernatural situation, the audience will be forced to consider the reality of these issues.  My fear-based art will focus on introducing the audience to fears they may not be familiar with, or present familiar ideas through a new lens.  I want the audience to experience horror in a new medium, to feel horror and revulsion at the visual representation of fear, and to consider the representation of present-day horrors in my art.  

In order to explore these ideas, I used a wide range of horror styles.  I have been inspired by many other creators and artists, particularly the surrealism of Zdzisław Beksiński and biomechanical creature design of H. R. Giger.  Some artworks are based on concepts, such as Corruption, while others are based on specific fears, like Parasite.  Many of my artworks focus on body horror, portraying the human body in a gorey and grotesque manner.  My artworks Contagion and Blood are focused heavily on body horror, but can be interpreted by the viewer to have a deeper meaning beyond that of disgust.  I also have many pieces relating to supernatural horror, such as Nightmare and Unknown.  Both of these artworks were based around my own personal designs of supernatural creatures, and are intended to inspire fears of the unknown.  I also experimented with portraying psychological horror in my art, a far more challenging genre to put into images.  Domination is one such piece that explores psychological horror, depicting the fear of technology and loss of humanity.  Altogether, these artworks portray many types of horror and a variety of fears, and combine to form a cohesive exhibit that explores how horror can influence individuals and be interpreted in various ways.

This collection of artwork was created using a huge range of media.  I explored a variety of two-dimensional formats, including oil paint, acrylic paint, and ink.  I also experimented with sculpture, in various clays, and kirigami, an artform involving the use of cut paper to build three-dimensional forms.  This range of media allows my exhibit to explore horror in many different and unique ways, and to maintain a diverse yet cohesive body of work.  

My exhibit is organized by medium, size, and composition.  If artworks shared a medium, like Unknown and Corruption, they were hung together.  Blood and Parasite share similar portrait-style compositions of the same size, so they were hung next to each other.  My exhibition was set up with the intention of emphasizing the larger, more impressive and dramatic pieces, like Domination.  The three-dimensional pieces are located in front of the two-dimensional artworks, with the most dramatic pieces, Krampus and Nightmare, located together in the center. This exhibition is intended to make the viewers feel fear, and force them to look at horror from new angles.  Whether that be by being exposed to unfamiliar fears, or by examining global issues through a supernatural lens, or by exploring their own experiences and fears in my artwork.