Artist Statement
My creative practice has changed dramatically over the last few years; a metamorphosis of using traditional methods, such as stitch and enamel, to my latest works that use a more analytical approach via sculptural interpretation, installation, photography, film, collecting and recording data. I find myself at a critical and exciting stage in my artistic development.
I am currently interested in using an interplay of divergent media and processes, focusing on the dialogue between diverse combinations of materials and meanings; for example, a dry stone wall is something solid and enduring, yet created from stitched newspaper, renders it disposable and fragile (see 'The Writing On The Wall' - image 1 in the gallery section). My practice often explores the communication between the intuitive mark and the constructed mark, combining the dynamic energy of the intuitive drawn line with different disciplines, in a contemporary and conceptual way. It is important that my work holds a resonance of the hand made mark, a personal trace embedded somewhere with a theoretical underpinning. Drawing is a vital component of my practice because of its potential transference to other materials.
I hold many varied interests that influence my artwork such as surgery, pilgrimage, Buddhism etc. I am especially interested in moments that retain a physical presence, a mapping of a memory, a trace that tells a story. The largest impact to my recent work is the effect that a wild rural landscape had on me and my artwork during a residency in Northumberland. Since then I have been fascinated by walking, its effect, presence and marking in the landscape. Previously my work ignored 'location' focusing primarily on internal personal experiences. Recently however, location became a vital essence that touched the very core of my being and continues to push the boundaries of my artwork.
I am currently interested in using an interplay of divergent media and processes, focusing on the dialogue between diverse combinations of materials and meanings; for example, a dry stone wall is something solid and enduring, yet created from stitched newspaper, renders it disposable and fragile (see 'The Writing On The Wall' - image 1 in the gallery section). My practice often explores the communication between the intuitive mark and the constructed mark, combining the dynamic energy of the intuitive drawn line with different disciplines, in a contemporary and conceptual way. It is important that my work holds a resonance of the hand made mark, a personal trace embedded somewhere with a theoretical underpinning. Drawing is a vital component of my practice because of its potential transference to other materials.
I hold many varied interests that influence my artwork such as surgery, pilgrimage, Buddhism etc. I am especially interested in moments that retain a physical presence, a mapping of a memory, a trace that tells a story. The largest impact to my recent work is the effect that a wild rural landscape had on me and my artwork during a residency in Northumberland. Since then I have been fascinated by walking, its effect, presence and marking in the landscape. Previously my work ignored 'location' focusing primarily on internal personal experiences. Recently however, location became a vital essence that touched the very core of my being and continues to push the boundaries of my artwork.