ARTIST STATEMENT
Time melted and reformed
I have always been deeply drawn to the artists of the Renaissance – Leonardo and Michelangelo, Raphael and Correggio, Giorgione and Titian. I admire their use of colour and composition. I love their choice and treatment of subject matter. The “rules” they laid down then are still relevant today.
Time has of course, affected these works, but for me, it has enhanced them. From scratched and cracked textures to under-painted layers re-surfacing, the erosion of the years adds new and alluring depths of meaning. Some paintings have been almost “destroyed” from decay and yet for me, they have evolved into new and beautiful forms which have a fresh power to touch the viewer, often in a mystical way. I am fascinated how time, gravity, light, air, movement can cause these changes.
When I look at a painting, it’s always the smallest details that draw me. The “ravages of time” in just one single part of one single painting can be overwhelming. It could be a part of a beautiful body that has decayed beautifully. It could be a tiny piece of arcane symbolism that has faded from view. It could be a tiny figure re-emerging from an earlier work. Sometimes, it may simply be how the interior light reflects on the crazed varnish.
The subject matter of the paintings is also always deeply significant whether it depicts the Passion of Christ or the vanities of a long dead nobleman. These subjects have also been eroded, melted, shaped and reformed by Time. Whatever they once were and more importantly, what they have become, means they still have the power to move. Whoever is depicted, from saints to popes to dukes, and whatever the story are being told, from sacrifice and salvation to battles and glory, their power cannot be ignored even if the facts are lost. Paradoxically, the ongoing process of time and decay both diminishes and strengthens the paintings’ potency.
The Process
I begin by photographing a simple detail – a face, a hand gesture, a symbol – which has been “shaped” over the years. This will form the focal point for the work. I then build up and mix in multiple images from different artists adding details from other works which I have captured over the years.
Next, I digitally “collage” these elements and transfer them onto canvas using different media such as print, paint and pencil. This is the most challenging but most rewarding stage. It’s impossible to know whether the transfer will succeed and how much of the original image will be remain. Sometimes, the transfer gets completely lost and yet, even when this happens, I sometimes take these new images and textures and work with them. After all, this too is merely a continuation of the artwork’s evolution.
Finally, after the image is transferred, I start painting. I use layers of gesso, acrylic paint, printer ink, spray paint and different glazes – matte, satin, gloss – all of which play an important role in my work. I paint, draw, sand, scratch and stencil. I may photograph the picture again. I may digitally modify it and transfer it back to the canvas and do so several times.
This is a completely spontaneous process. I make no preliminary sketches. I follow no preconceived directions. Art evolves over time in random ways - sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic. The essence of this melting and reformation is at the heart of my work. Where it is today may change tomorrow. But then, that’s the effect of Time’s endless melting and reforming.