The primary motivation for this body of work is our natural environment. I am inspired by the ephemeral compositions, structures and dwellings that I find in my surroundings. The drawing on fabric is the original form from which the prints are derived. This separation and recombination of ideas, forms and colours connects with the layered memory embodied in the original fabric. The combination of traditional and contemporary technologies used in the prints echoes the relationship between the authentic and the reconfigured in this body of work. The fragile forms and compositions are realised through print in order to create delicate structural shells which provoke a sense of presence that is both bold and ambiguous.
The recurring motif in my work is created with a process I call adaptive doodling – where each new collection of linear marks adapts to its surroundings in order to create a cohesive whole. The central openings, holes or voids in each composition, invite the viewer to explore the threshold between outside and inside. This transition between spaces and the difference between ‘here’ and ‘there’, creates a tension, or expectation. Looking into these forms suggests contained spaces like nests or dwellings – environments that nurture growth over time. These ‘portals’ are potentially transformative and ask us to question our position both physically and psychologically.
“Looking into a deep hole unnerves me. My concept of stability is questioned and I am made aware of the potent energies within the earth.”
– Andy Goldsworthy
