Works In Series

Our memories are not the exact reality of the moment in which we experienced them.
They are subjective and disjointed, coloured with every aspect of ourselves. They are given meaning through the emotion we attach to them, both at the time of making and upon reflection as we grow and change. Memories are powerful in the way we rely on them to form our identity. They are a record we keep. Images, whether real or imagined, can provide and enhance access to these memories.
In approaching this series I was seeking to capture an atmosphere as opposed to a defined reality. I relied more on my senses and emotions in an attempt to channel my own memories of a life spent by the ocean.

Hope is a state of mind that is synonymous with the essence of life itself.
It is a beacon of light that can permeate the deepest layers of darkness and despair. Hope offers a glimpse into an immense and innate power that we all possess. A power to endure, against all odds. There is a greatness within us that is often only awakened once we are pushed and tested to the limits of our perceived capacity.
This series of artworks draws inspiration from the transformation that is experienced in the journey from despair to hope. The emergence from darkness toward light.

What do we carry with us from our past, which memories survive and why? There are reverberations from certain memories that persist, that we identify with more fully. I propose that many of these are based more in emotion and desire than reality.

For this project I am looking back through my archive of photographs over the past 20 years and selecting only those which move me the most. After scanning the film negatives my process involves abstraction through layering images together with the purpose of finding the essence of something more meaningful, and to ultimately arrive at a body of work that feels both sentimental and idealistic.

This series explores the emotive power of colour and light, inspired by abstract expressionism, particularly Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler who achieved a remarkable purity of expression and emotion in their work.
Here I am closely attuned to the feeling of darkness and light coexisting within the same artwork, as though one is dependent on the other to enable the fullest expression. This is also to me the perfect analogy of the human condition.
Texture is another important consideration in this series. Film grain plays a part, as does my choice of the source images I photograph, from ancient crumbling walls and natural stone to windswept oceans and moody skies.