I am a visual artist, primarily focused on moving image. I venture into video art, installation, photography and fine art with a sensitive, delicate, contemplative, observational yet playful style. I approach my work with an imaginative eye often looking at the magical essence of nature, elements of psychology in how we relate to ourselves, our surroundings and the human condition. I’m drawn to pairing real human emotion with mysticism and spirituality. I am particularly interested in different moments of transformation and transcendence between these realms. I am always keen to expand my practice and cover a wide range of authentic emotional based subjects.
Thematically I am interested in transcendence, worship, identity, connection, safety and the drama of emotion. My work stems from drawing and painting, with an initial love for Surrealist painters such as Dali and Rene Magritte. Gradually I was drawn to creating a multi-layered experience, by constructing these ideas through installation art and video art/ film. Artists including Terrence Nance and Pipilotti Rist have informed this trajectory. I aim to create a feeling, mood and atmosphere through use of tangible objects, materials and projection, for example, a shrine-like worship space or a water reflection of moving image.
My final graduate piece “Rising Under The Light” consists of the short film seen here as part of a bedroom installation, which could not be physically constructed in an exhibition space due to COVID-19.
The moving image film portrays multiple themes integrated to affect and parallel one another, including the transition from childhood to teen-hood from a female perspective; the transitional period and growing fear during the Corona Virus pandemic; reality and dreamlike state of escapism; religious worship, and obsession and idealisation of a specific expression of pop culture.
The bedroom installation has three modes of display for my film, facilitating multiple simultaneous perspectives. Specific inverted neon images, within a moving iridescent background, are projected onto the installation walls; one projection is from a distance, appearing on the audience, integrating them with the space.
The first display of the film is a large-scale projection on the ceiling. The bedroom walls lean slightly inward, directing your focus upwards to the ‘heavenly light’ of the film. Laying on the comfortable bed, you (and a friend?) experience the short film as if safely dreaming. She looks back at you at the end of the film.
The second viewing opportunity is at a desk and chair via the same blue laptop and (isolating) headphones that appear in the mise-en-scene of the film.
A pink dolls house from the film, sits on a table; a large rug and B.T.S. cushions placed in front. Looking in you see the film playing on the back wall of its bedroom (via an iPad). The miniature doll of the girl, again from the film, watches the screen.
The skewed angles of the installation bedroom, and subtly moving wall projections, allow an underlying sense that things are not completely stable for her. Minimal objects in the room are meticulously, carefully positioned providing balance, however, and the colours and surface are captivating, bold and fun, yet calm, with the intangible softness of light throughout.