My inspiration |
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My work is a collection of experiences, thoughts and dreams. I love the atmosphere of museums. The oddities on show that reflect our history are a great inspiration and I cannot resist collecting old photographs, posters, ephemera and mercurial objet-d'art which is often featured in my work. The images I paint are fragments of an experience or memory; transitory thoughts assembled to form a collage; a treasure map explaining the essence of a particular theme, feeling or place. I am drawn to the human form and in particular, the face. My stump dolls have a faintly grisly appearance. Having no limbs and being encased in a coffin-like box seems to suggest a museumesque exhibit, reminiscent of the Victorian penny arcade slot machines and fortune telling booths. I paint each doll individually on calico then stitch them by hand, adding adornments to enhance their mystery. Each box is also hand made and collaged, with the intent of hinting at the doll's persona. A little detective work could be used to uncover the dolls identity; a sort of artist's Cluedo. When working on my pieces i am reminded that it is an extension of my mind. My inner thoughts are being translated into a tangible painting or object for all to see. I begin my pieces with a thought or a feeling. Smell, sound, light and mood all play a part in the conception of a piece. (I like to have a sense of the theatrical when producing my work. "Its all about the journey.") When the scene is set I can begin...........
My Artwork takes an unbiased view of the darker side of human consciousness. I am currently fascinated by the Victorian and Edwardian travelling fairs. I imagine, just a short distance from the grandeur of the flamboyant attractions, lurks the exotic and macabre world of the sideshow. They lure in spectators, playing on a deep-rooted desire to witness something disturbing or perverse and finding it curiously compelling and sometimes humorous. I am interested in the contrast between the whimsical nature of the fairground and the gloom of the sides-shows, intensifying the grim and the ridiculous. I like to think of it as an exquisitely, beautiful, grotesque nightmare. |
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