Artist's Statement
I finally put an artist's statement together for my website:
Artist's Statement
Change and wonder are features of my work that I enjoy exploring practically and conceptually. I find art making to be multidimensional linking personal with social, action with reaction and the unknown with the known. Some say art is a metaphor for life but perhaps, if beauty is a true virtue, life can also be seen as a metaphor for art. From realist to abstract, my work documents the open exploration I take into the unknown gaining greater aesthetic appreciation through the use of various expressive media.
It has always been difficult to find words for what I've wanted to communicate about my work. Indeed, reflecting on this struggle has led to some interesting insights. To me it seems easier to talk about objects rather than subjects; however, I find subjects to be much more interesting and closer to my own creative wellspring.
Change, metamorphosis, relationship and time are all words that come to mind and that point to this wellspring, which is reflected in my statement. I wanted my statement to focus upon what drives and sustains my creativity which is more about the relationship between product (what I see) and process (what I do). For example, I may start painting with an idea in mind. I may then see an image or be presented with a concept that influences this idea. All these aspects are illustrated on the canvas but my relationship with the art materials, what I'm seeing as I create, also responds in colour and form asking me, 'is this where you want to go?' or 'have I got the right idea?' It's an interesting process between acting with intention and reacting to what I see on the canvas. As my statement suggests, practically exploring this process has been a great lesson on what I find to be aesthetically pleasing.
In the end I gave in to the struggle to find words accepting that I need them to help tell the story of my work. I realise that this story may put me in contact with others who may be on a similar journey or who may simply support my work so that I can do more of it.
