Artist’s Statement
I create work to make sense of our existence. The connection between past, present and future, and how atavistic links can inform our future, is a key theme.
I juxtapose classical with contemporary approaches to explore the essence or truth of an idea. I am inspired by the continuum from ancient mark-making and the early "storyboards" of hieroglyphics and iconography through to experimenting with how and where analogue and digital media interact.
My paintings are built through a combination of translucent glazes and thickly textured mediums, embedded with fur, feather, hair and bark. They are often large scale. I experiment with using natural pigments and creating installations using materials linked to the work: bone, horn, wire, bale wrap, hay, straw, sawdust, bark, greenwood.
With my cameras and editing, I explore time and perception: of how multiple views metamorphose into one, through stills, stop-frame, time-lapse, live action and split screen. Much of my drawing and painting is inspired by film-making, of serial imagery, or building an image through the continuous action of an experience, layering so it embodies a sense of time and becomes something very different from a “still” image. I often film my visual art, creating sequences from a series of drawings or mixing it with live action or projecting video onto the visual art. I explore how layering different images and action expands the meaning and experience of a work.
My poems and stories express another dimension of an idea. Much of my writing is contemporaneous, later edited into a whole. The poems are illuminated on the frames of the paintings, or become a film script, sound installation or book. I record oral narratives from people to bring their voices centre stage.
I smith all these elements together, seeking the pattern, rhythm and structure that will bring the audience to a different place from which to see the world from. I seek the most direct means of expression and interaction through installations, exhibitions, screenings and workshops. I create cathartic journeys for people who experience my work. Work that is emotionally and intellectually accessible, that challenges received values and norms, and inspires people to pursue other paths. To really connect beyond the virtual vacuums of technology. To overcome hurt, anger, frustration, conflict and injustice. To fight and shape a better version of the world than the distortions that inequality, greed, cruelty and violence deliver. It’s about modest yet crucial triumphs to console, uplift, energise and celebrate courage.