It can seem all very overwhelming when you are in the midst of artwork. It can sometimes feel like you are in the eye of a storm, then suddenly you can just find a place of peace that can be triggered off by the smallest thing, or if you have a discussion with somebody else, preferably if that somebody else is like minded…they can bring peace to your storm, even though they don’t know it!
I am currently researching John Chamberlain, Whose work I adore. Marc Quinn, Antony Gormley, Andy Goldsworth, Louise Bourgeois (my favorite artist of all time.)
Lozano-Hemmer who I am finding increasingly interesting by the day. Bruce Nauman, Tim Etchells, Jo Spence and Rosy Martin. These artists are influencing me and though they are brilliant and quite varied, they all have something in common…But I haven’t quite figured it out yet.
The interview was recorded in my studio space at Staffordshire University. Feb 2008
When I first arrived at Staffs Uni, I had already decided to continue in the investigation of identity. I had previously been making casts out of ceramic and thought that it was a good idea to cast the body. Hung up on the thought of the seperation between “Self and Body.” I had been researching Marc Quinn and Antony Gormley, and was intriged to know how to create a sculpture of self…I had the idea of casting my own body in plaster, then filling it with heaps of stuff that reprisents identity. As i researched more and more I found other artist links such as Louise Bogeours and Kiki Smith who also do body casting…Then my idea of a full body cast narrowed down to casting body parts.
First I made a cast of my face, and was amazed at just how detailed it was. (possibly a little too detailed…)
This work was done while studying HND Fine Art at Newcastle Under Lyme College, 2007. I experimented with glass microscope slides for this project. Using oil paints, I printed onto glass to simulate Agate.
The rolled paint produced veins and patterns incredibly simular to that which you see in Agate.
I exposed the microscope slides to the light of the photographic enlarger to create a series of images. The microscope slides acted as photographic negatives, the whole exercise was completely experimental. Aquatint Etchings (March 2006) The cross design came from the patterns on the microscope slides. I found these particularly interesting as my project was evolving and I was beginning to look at identity from different perspectives.
Manchester and Liverpool. This is a calaberation between the two cities. (Photographic contact prints and 35mm film. Indian Ink and paper)Monoprint 2006Revival. Etch print done on fabriano cotton paper with black oil based inkReflection. Etchin print done on fabriano cotton paper with black oil based ink 2007Multimedia research was done with cotton, oil based ink and sewing machine.Monoprint (oil based printing ink on fabriano cotton paper with silver leaf)Here is an Etching which I created on a zinc plateMono print, done on a large etched plate for additional detail. I had it in my thoughts about a thin and clear narrow path, running up through the middle of the design. When I came to process the print I took a whole series, all different. When I was creating this particular print, I dropped white pigment onto the plate amongst the oil based printing inks before I pressed it on the bed. The outcome looks like a star, falling from the heavens.
