Artist Statement
My practice is concerned with how I might create ‘moments of sanctuary’ that put the audience at the centre of the work. This is driven by a desire to create a space, whether physically, mentally, or digitally, that offers time for momentary pause or reflection. The aim is to enable audiences to engage on their own terms, whether on a personal level or one that creates conversation with others.
Two elements drive my practice: firstly engaging with a range of materials and their unique properties through a systematic process of making, mainly abstract in nature, and secondly how this translates into conversations and connections.
Scientific curiosity is my starting point and I look for materials that intrigue. I need to be able to feel a material, whether physically or mentally; to become involved in what it represents to me and how it can be transformed into something beyond our expectations. I employ an experimental approach to working with a range of materials from plaster and clay, through to latex, ice and oil, which allow me to create ambiguous objects and images.
My creative side emerges when I use the material for the first time, putting in colour, chemicals, light or myself in some way. Those first seconds when a reaction begins and I have given up control captivates me. I allow the material to take over and begin speaking to me. Seeing how the different elements amalgamate or repel each other immerses me totally. The most rewarding materials are those that push back, simultaneously asserting themselves and yet allowing me to lead.
So for me, the scientific and creative merge, forming a tension between chaos and order which is constantly evolving, sometimes with rules and others with complete freedom, but each enabling me to learn the language of the material.
My scientific process is inspired by the natural world and the patterns and universality of the forms and structures that control how things fit. I'm equally excited by the physical landscape and with the unseen, the potency of sensing ones place amongst a myriad of other things enthralls me.
As my practice has evolved, the process of making and materials have become vehicles with which I can create installations and experiences. I create intentionally abstract pieces, which enable me to then develop a relationship with those viewing my work. Watching as someone reacts to an unseen entity that they have sensed in my work creates a conversation about who and what each person is and what they believe. I'm fascinated by the uniqueness of each person based on their own history, geography and experiences. This diversity gives rise to untold interactions which drive me to further understand the affect that I can create with the work I produce and how it is presented.