Bestiary, War Prints and Visions
Etching and specifically the drypoint medium has always been a direct and visceral way for me to think through experience. The physical effort of gouging and scoring into a metal plate with a steel point becomes an emphatic transfer of feelings about what I see, feel, hear, and imagine. I have my ears to the ground about what is happening on the world stage (often accompanied by anxiety), as much as I'm inspired to etch from animal life to reach a sense of a visual understanding and appreciation. Above all though, I revel in not understanding, I want life to fill me with awe and hopefully my work, despite its small scale, can generate some of that feeling in the viewer, a balancing act between grit and unfathomability.
Etching and specifically the drypoint medium has always been a direct and visceral way for me to think through experience. The physical effort of gouging and scoring into a metal plate with a steel point becomes an emphatic transfer of feelings about what I see, feel, hear, and imagine. I have my ears to the ground about what is happening on the world stage (often accompanied by anxiety), as much as I'm inspired to etch from animal life to reach a sense of a visual understanding and appreciation. Above all though, I revel in not understanding, I want life to fill me with awe and hopefully my work, despite its small scale, can generate some of that feeling in the viewer, a balancing act between grit and unfathomability.
City Fragmnets
City Fragments is a satirical suite based on sculptures and statues in the city of Leeds often hidden above eye level. Despite their farcical appearance (where stone and bronze are brought to life in an exodus from the city), the etchings embody recurring themes of displacement and homelessness, with the attendant search for peace and a place of belonging. They also reflect my love of art history, for example 'The Gothic Vaults' based on the victorian library's grand staircase brought to mind Piranesi's 'Imaginary Prisons' and melds these two visionary inspirations.
City Fragments is a satirical suite based on sculptures and statues in the city of Leeds often hidden above eye level. Despite their farcical appearance (where stone and bronze are brought to life in an exodus from the city), the etchings embody recurring themes of displacement and homelessness, with the attendant search for peace and a place of belonging. They also reflect my love of art history, for example 'The Gothic Vaults' based on the victorian library's grand staircase brought to mind Piranesi's 'Imaginary Prisons' and melds these two visionary inspirations.
