Statement (Painting)
The catalyst for my work is the seemingly inconsequential and incongruous, and the effects of human intervention on the environment and in particular, Hemerdon Mine, a redundant Tungsten mine situated at the edge of Dartmoor National Park, has been the stimulus for a continuing body of work.
The present body of work was stimulated by pathways. In particular rural pathways / by-ways that cut through the landscape, not necessarily the main by-ways but those minor tracks formed not only by footfall, but also by the animals and the local wildlife. There is a poetry in the way that a track cuts through the random structure of the grass, a lyrical resonance where the path converges with grass. There is a discourse that is inevitable with the subject that resonates with notions of yearning and choices.
The creative language I use contextualises my earlier interest in maps and the linear structure of crosshatching. The drawing process has developed and matured to use a direct,linear and tactile approach to painting. I rarely use paint brushes. I use pallet knives but mainly found materials such as used disc cutting blades, crosshatching to build up surface and texture. It is imperative to the body of work to have a connection with the sense of place to keep the integrity of painting, it became apparent that the tools of mining such used disc cutting blades and broken blinds lying scattered about the mine would be the tools for applying the paint.
Found Compositions / Blue String (Photography)
This photographic project is also based at Hemerdon Mine
I found shredded tarpaulin that had been covering the windows, the fabric had decayed into fine blue string. The tarpaulin had been damaged by the elements and consequently formed randomly-drawn lines, which alter depending on the conditions. I re-visit on a fairly regular basis and record these sculptural drawings being fashioned. There is a perceptible joy in rebirth, the textures of nature reclaiming its place and running free with an explosion of growth and colour.
