Nicole Wallbridge Bourmistrova
Swan Song Excerpt
2024
12” x 12”
Acrylic on Canvas
In this painting, a solitary black swan, lost in the midst of St James's Park, finds itself besieged by a multitude of white swans. The composition masterfully captures the themes of chaos, self-consumption, and violence against the self. The white swans, depicted in a vanilla hue with rough brushstrokes, evoke a rich fluffiness and
softness, contrasting sharply with the almost opaque black swan. This dark swan seems to blend into the water, gradually fading away, symbolizing its isolation and vulnerability. At the center of the piece, erratic movements form a spiral pattern, showcasing the deep chaos and pain the black swan is enduring.
This motion draws inspiration from Giacomo Balla's "Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash," as well as the fluidity of old-school 2D animation techniques. The blue beaks of the swans are a striking stylistic choice, inspired by Hilma af Klint's blue-footed swans from "The Swan" series (1914-15). This addition adds an ethereal quality to
the white swans, further emphasizing the surreal and tumultuous nature of the scene.
Overall, the painting is a poignant exploration of inner turmoil, violence, and the brutal clash between a dream-like state.
A Little Bit About The Artist
A Statement From The Artist
Nicole WallBridge Bourmistrova (Born 1999) is a London-based artist whose practice is
underpinned by political satire and her generational memory of Soviet propaganda poems and cartoons. Drawing upon fond memories of Marhsak’s poem ‘Mr Twister’, a story of an evil American capitalist who travels to the USSR, Bourmistrova Wallbridge’s paintings often unpick cardinal sins in contemporary contexts. Greed and lust are depicted in suitably exaggerated,
feminised caricatures. Her exuberant palette and dynamic visual language draws upon the lineage of Italian Futurism and Soviet Avant-garde artists such as Giacomo Bella and Natalia Gonchorova. Her work is characterised by its vibrancy, humour and absurdity. Aristocrats and Royals, priests and devils, black cats and vampires are all characters that feature in her repertoire of fanciful scenes that highlight socio-political realities by revelling in their inherent silliness.
Tell us about a dream you've had.
I tend to dream about many moments throughout my childhood with completely different scenarios to reality that tend to include a giantly sized animal.
What's your favourite movie or tv show?
Suspiria.
​​​​What is your biggest influence on your practice?
The 1910's art movement artist such as Giacomo Balla and Hilma Af Klint.