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or Play or Not to Play
Imagery is deliberately child-like with some characters appear more defined than others. Sketchbook drawings and colour studies inform the work, though the final pieces are painted from imagination. There are references to children’s traditional games which themselves have sinister roots. For example ‘Here comes the chopper...” refers to the nursery rhyme, “Oranges and Lemons” and the execution procession of debtors and criminals through London. Whilst the playground can be viewed as a cooking pot of personalities and characters, cliques and factions, this environment can often be replicated in other situations, for example, the staff room, the office, and the board room. |
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Book Illustration Grace |
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| Ever
seen a face on the moon or a landscape in the clouds? As a child,
I created stories from all sorts of shapes hidden in my surroundings
- for example, the patterns and folds of a curtain or the crevices
and shadows of a rock. Like Arthur Rackham, I was able to picture
how gnarled branches and twisted tree trunks could become characters
and the cast in an imaginary world |
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Extracting AnatomyFrom expansive shorelines to the
intimate surroundings of home, different environments have provided
inspiration for my work. Extracting Anatomy is an exploration of
the human body, from the basic building blocks, that is cell structures,
to more complex organs that have evolved to make Homo Sapiens
such an interesting subject to study. It is environment which
produces thoughts and ideas, a container which processes air, solids
and liquids.
The medical profession has a language for describing the body, for diagnosing illness and for prescribing drugs which often eludes the lay person. For example:
Extracting Anatomy uses a personal visual language and its meaning may also elude the viewer. It is an exploration of ambiguity, perception and the way in which images are interpreted. Although the final pieces are abtract, the research is firmly rooted in observational drawing and colour studies. Many weeks are spent looking at the subject, recording information in sketchbooks. I looked at the surface of the body through life-drawing. Obviously looking inside the body is more tricky! This was resolved when the Queens Medical Centre kindly allowed me access to stained cells and tissue samples. Other valuable resource material included the internet and medical reference books. After collating this information, I closed the sketch-books and worked from memory. The observational work merely serves as a way of reinforcing this memory. With this vast array of information and visual imagery I began to develop abstract forms using a personal, visual language.. As the artist I can interpret the work and understand its ambiguity. Each painting represents my perception of the elements contained within it. Other viewers will interpret it according to their own perceptions and experiences. Whilst each picture can be viewed as a puzzle, it is for each viewer to unlock it and arrive at their own conclusions. |
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