My work represents an interest in how the act of participation in an artistic process gives us useful insights that we are unable to access via other means, about ourselves and the exterior world. The environment created through my projects incorporates a democratic culture, where diverse voices and abilities are not just deemed welcome, but necessary.
When we make, we make our thinking visible, we sort out our ideas and philosophies, and they start to exist, and exist in the mind of others. On this premise, I worked for 15 years with diverse communities of Cumbria, particularly with people living with or moving through a mental health condition and/or with different cognitive abilities. The visual arts were the common ground on which we met, and we would then move on to co-author artwork. I worked with musicians, film-makers, theatre practitioners and animators over this period.
I am currently reviewing this body of artwork, focusing on the structures of the environments I created in the projects, besides the work itself. I am using the medium of paint to explore and map this work.
Biggest influence: Jeremy Deller. I also follow artists such as Patricia Cain, Paula Rego, William Kentridge, Anselm Kiefer and Marina Abramovic.
When we make, we make our thinking visible, we sort out our ideas and philosophies, and they start to exist, and exist in the mind of others. On this premise, I worked for 15 years with diverse communities of Cumbria, particularly with people living with or moving through a mental health condition and/or with different cognitive abilities. The visual arts were the common ground on which we met, and we would then move on to co-author artwork. I worked with musicians, film-makers, theatre practitioners and animators over this period.
I am currently reviewing this body of artwork, focusing on the structures of the environments I created in the projects, besides the work itself. I am using the medium of paint to explore and map this work.
Biggest influence: Jeremy Deller. I also follow artists such as Patricia Cain, Paula Rego, William Kentridge, Anselm Kiefer and Marina Abramovic.