My interest in painting has always revolved around the inherent illusion and deception involved in making and looking at paintings. The manipulation of a flat surface to create space/deny space or create feeling or meaning.
In my self-portraits the painted critique of painting is reflected in the choice of self-portraiture as a humorous depiction of an artist’s identity. The paintings negotiate the close bond between the artist and the product as well as explore funny/ sad ways to portray the predicament and mental life of the artist.
The paintings are theatrically staged showing various studio set-ups, the hovering artist (Floater) simultaneously depicts the exhilaration of a good studio painting day or the horror of a bad one, the sad painter (The Kitchen Painter) highlights the precariousness of having a studio and symbolic value that a studio represents, the hollow-eyed painter (Human Content) conjures the concept that painting somehow stores the artist’s life and labour in the medium. And finally, (Depth, Surface and self-criticism) reflects the vulnerability and the uncertainty of self -critical judgement.
The materiality of paint and semiotic potential of mixing painting styles play a significant role in how each individual painting is produced. The frozen expressionist streaks and runny drips emphasis the inanimate nature of painting but simultaneously foster the idea that the artist is present and absent at the same time. The reduction of paint to fantastical illusionary depiction devoid of painterly marks, splats and drips emphasis the uncanny and supernatural.