Statement
I have always been drawn to the power of art both for its potential aesthetic brilliance and as a powerful means of expressing and interpreting ideas. In my work I attempt to confront, examine (and at times attack) the real issues I see as affecting everyday life. For me these aren’t the typical ‘headline grabbing’ issues of the day, they are the many little things that make up our day-to-day lives. I prefer to focus on the seemingly mundane thoughts, decisions and actions.
The vast majority of my work is with ‘found items’ - images and text taken from popular contemporary culture. These have a strong resonance for me both aesthetically and due to their power to remain dormant and unconscious within us. The use of song lyrics in a lot of my recent work exemplifies this perfectly. These phrases linger within us and instantly invoke what we consider to be memory, but on further investigation what are we actually reminded of and what feelings are evoked? To what extent are these disparate from the point of composition? Further more, are they what we originally associated with the phrase? Or does their new appropriation in some way force or validate a new interpretation, but do so slyly, so we are not really aware of any change.
Currently I am working on collages that explore the cultural debris of my memory. Things that trigger instant associations with chapters in my life, cultural movements and emotional memories. But things that during my day-to-day existence I never consciously think about, and assume don’t influence me, yet they are there, exerting their unknown power over me. Maybe by bringing them to the forefront of not only my thoughts but also my creative actions, I am in some way exorcising them or maybe I’m just re-ordering my unconscious as a dreamer repeats his day’s actions to complete the effective storage of these events.
I am a member of the neomodern artists group. http://www.neomodern.org
Steal From Work
I am also a founding member and director of Steal From Work. An artist co-operative who produce and curate contemporary art exhibitions in Bristol, with the main aim is to add a new injection of vibrancy into Bristol's art scene. Notably producing the hugely popular; 12 Days of Xmas (Dec 07 & 08) and Not A Penny Off The Pay (May 08) groups shows and jointly curating Crimes of Passion: Street Art in Bristol at the Royal West of England Academy (Mar 09).
www.stealfromwork.org