Various types of materials such as industrial and organic imagery are combined in this work to accentuate the grotesque. By repositioning and distorting images of the female figure, Grisard in turn questions the placement of female power within our cultural mythology. Her work is deeply rooted within her own personal experience, ancestral roots and relates to the challenges of women’s position in society. This fragmented and distorted work is influenced by an eclectic range of artists. A key interest is Alice Maher with her use of myths and fairy tales, as a means of linking past and present concerns. Whereas themes from Aideen Barry’s use of gothic and subverted female characters, enticing and repelling the viewer all at the same time, have a strong resonance for Grisard. Francis Bacon’s portraits which are primarily composed of a raw unsettling, violently distorted nature are also significant inspirations to the work.
Grisard’s practice revolves around themes of subversion, memory, mythology, and within the realms of nature. Through abstract and figurative forms, Grisard uses natural materials to print natural patterns onto paper; drawings are started and worked with graphic imagery and are placed in contrast to the organic matter prints.
