Identifying a Form
My current practice fragments and reconstructs the face. I distort what we recognise as a primary form of nature, to challenge what we preconceive as human identity. We perceive what is known as ‘identity’ by studying the face, and my desire has always been to alter this. I was fascinated with the concept of a traditional portrait and was struck by the idea that one could deface a masterpiece so effortlessly.
Understanding such an approach required some investigation into artists who were acclaimed for their contortion and deformation. I commenced by studying the character depiction from a range of artists such as Francis Bacon, Chuck Close, and Merlyn Evans. Through their inspiration, combined with outside influences, such as natural forms and rock formations, I have been able to dismantle my preconceived notions, and reassemble them into a structure that I consider to be a representational part of the human figure.
Segmentation of the face has been my principal focus throughout the last several projects. I also incorporate predominantly black and white tones to push it further away from reality, as I enjoy that sharp contrast. Recently, I have been transferring these sharp, metal like 2D forms onto a wood base chip board. As the board is full of softer earth tones, the two compliment each other well.
