UCLA student’s diverse art portfolio champions sensitivity, reminisces on memories
With a spotlight on the human form, Violet Treadwell Hull’s art is at once sensitive and visceral.
After exploring multiple artistic avenues in high school, such as graphic design and commercial filmmaking, the third-year art student said they felt constrained by the formulaic nature of those environments. Instead, Treadwell Hull said they turned to painting, drawing and more experimental film supported by elements of animation, not restricting themselves to one medium but using the form that would fit each piece best. But the artistic practice that has the most influence on Treadwell Hull’s work is writing, which they said informs everything they do.
“Often, I’ll paint based on stories that I’ve written, so you’ll see some characters that pop up more than once in my paintings, and usually those are characters from my writing,” Treadwell Hull said. “And at my show ‘Working Dog,’ I performed a monologue that I wrote. So that (brought) back my acting into my practice right now.”
The intersection of multiple disciplines is visible in all of Treadwell Hull’s artwork, such as in their most recent film titled “Pools Above Ground,” which is based on a novel they are writing. In playing synthesizer music for the soundtrack, experimenting with font design and meticulously layering video footage to create a double exposure effect, Treadwell Hull said they were engaged in every aspect of the filmmaking process. The project deals with the power dynamics in interpersonal relationships, they said, specifically concerning those in play when people touch each other.
Treadwell Hull said this particular focus on the human body has also translated to their more traditional visual artwork, such as their paintings. These pieces will hopefully not only inspire curiosity in their audience but also propel people to reflect on their own experiences in their bodies, Treadwell Hull said. Their work grapples with uncomfortable narratives and memories, which they said are meant to display the interactions between bodies and visualize the constantly evolving nature of memories.
“The more that you reflect on those memories, the more that they do change,” Treadwell Hull said. “I want to put those memories down on paper or canvas so that I know that they’re there and they’re not going to go anywhere.” — Ashley Kim, Jan. 21, 2022
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Daily Bruin website.
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