Lauren Blunden
Rouse Hill High School
MORTAL INDULGENT
Drawing
Coloured pencil on paper
In my body of work I represent cake as a symbol of growth, mortality and the bittersweet passage of time, contrasting the intimacy of a community gathering with the cake's impermanence in its inevitable consumption. Across progressively smaller panels the diminishing cake, shifting light sources and receding figurative presence convey a story, moving from the individual to the cake itself, communicating how its form can become a carrier of memories. My intention was to illustrate how celebration is intertwined with the inevitability of ageing. I chose to work with a traditional form to demonstrate its persistence within a contemporary world.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Rachel Whiteread; Irving Penn, The Empty Plate.
Marker's Commentary
Mortal Indulgent is a sophisticated and emotionally resonant body of work that reinterprets the vanitas and memento mori traditions through the familiar ritual of a birthday celebration. Across three meticulously rendered coloured pencil drawings, The series transforms cake from a symbol of festivity into a poignant metaphor for the passage of time, mortality and the impermanence of lived experience. The sequential narrative moves from the youthful anticipation of a child illuminated by candlelight to a partially consumed cake in adulthood, and finally to the remnants of a meal in which the human figure is absent. This progression sustains a subtle yet powerful meditation on ageing, memory and the inevitability of decline, while simultaneously celebrating the richness of life’s fleeting moments. The series’ conceptual strength lies in its ability to operate on multiple levels: as a nostalgic recollection of family rituals, as a contemporary still life, and as a symbolic reminder that all indulgence and celebration are ultimately transient. These ideas are informed by the conventions of portraiture and still life, alongside references to Irving Penn’s The Empty Plate, where absence becomes a powerful signifier of human presence and mortality.
The body of work demonstrates exceptional technical resolution and consistency. The extremely refined handling of coloured pencil achieves luminous tonal transitions, sophisticated modelling of form and an acute sensitivity to light. Dramatic chiaroscuro effects unify the series, creating an atmosphere that is both intimate and contemplative. The careful rendering of textures, from porcelain, silverware and fabric to icing, cake and skin reveal a highly accomplished practice. Conceptually sustained and technically resolved, Mortal Indulgent communicates layered meanings with subtlety and coherence, inviting audiences to reflect on the beauty, fragility and finite nature of human existence.