​

 

My background is a mix of art, philosophy and technology. As an artist I am a mix of interconnecting layers of emotion, philosophy, material and craft. What I create is dependent on which layer is dominant in my journey.

​

I started out as an expressionist oil painter, the paint translating my emotional take on society, on the material side loving how oil paint could be applied in transparent or opaque layers, in particular how glazings and colour interacted with light, how a poppy oil glaze could reflect light so strongly you couldn't see the colour it was glazing, hiding the truth under a veil of reflected light.

​

My conceptual installations are/were based around anthropological questions, delving into the psychology of personal relations versus society, what was valued, when and how, what is reviled or worshipped, what is hidden or revealed, rather then exploration of a particular medium.

 

Moving from painting into dynamic light based work is recent [2017] and is a natural progression, mixing both the emotional layers of painting, the conceptual sociological subtext, and technology. The first work's being painterly, and presented on canvas. I'm in love with all the material aspects of light as a primary medium, how it can be dynamic, with different colours pulling different emotions from the same piece. Currently I'm obsessed with LED based works, in particular how the light is emitted and projected, rather then merely reflected.

 

I'm currently creating abstract anthropomorphic forms out of a combination of emitting light, and paint. Continuing to add multiple layers of interacting light and depth, to create sculptural dimensions with layers of contextual meanings.

The choice of materials add further conceptual layers to the pieces, conveying a tension implicit in the interconnection of technology and nature, which is key in modern life.

The select mix of materials, range from the very traditional, such as organic hand woven wool yarn from Wales [referencing the historical hidden female artist who worked in embroidery] , jute sacking cloth or linen canvas, ink, and oil or acrylic paint. In contrast I also use technological and industrial materials such as, acrylic panels, clear vinyl, aluminium, copper, insulation materials, small motors, bike batteries, and the key material, the programmable colour changeable water proof LED lights, which also have variable intensity of emmition.

 

The programmable light technology enables the variable personality of the pieces, each further hidden layer adding a level of complexity. The works are mutable, dynamic, each layer interacting with another, to give a multitude of pieces in one, allowing extreme personalization.

Meaning it possible to create a dynamic synergy, between the art work, the creator, the space and the owner.

Allowing the owner to take control of the art is important, as their perception, intellectual, and emotional overlays, adds further depth to the pieces ie; the owners add further personal “ hidden layers” of contextual meaning. The communality aspect in this creation adds continuing strands of substance, allowing the piece its own life and a further growth potential when it leaves my studio.