Walkabout

Walkabout

1m x 1m

Spray paint, acrylic, and pastel on board scratched work

Walkabout is a part of a series of works which centre around aboriginal culture and the idea of a spiritual journey, the bright colours echo the same identity as the lines of a face - they become like an instilled memory of a person. I love how Australian aborigines culture embodies a sense of history with their painting techniques, and adornment and found it absolutely fascinating to work with these portraits for a few months. I absolutely adore working in this way, abstract painting techniques fuse with textured lines as I scratch back the bold paint to reveal the black board below and create a portrait imagery. Walkabout has been a part of my own personal collection for the past few years in between being exhibited around Auckland and is now available to the public.

My start in the art world began with landscapes, I come from the wild west coast born and bred so the beauty of the ocean is always around me and I still paint landscapes from time to time. Mostly my landscapes have now developed into sculptural pieces either on steel or canvas on wooden blocks and I tend to like to work with larger sculptural sized works which need a well structured wall to hang them from. Statement works that will hang in a gallery like space in your home or office.

The Exhibitionist

"Doris Humphrey once said. "There are times when the simple dignity of movement can fufill the function of a volume of words.

There are movements which impinge on the nerves, with a strength that is incomparable, for movement has the power to stir the senses and emotions, unique in itself..." (cited in york, 1937)

A theatrical and ambiguous narration of contortionism, the exhibitionist is a staged androgenous production, playing on the viewers imagination. Playfully un-conscious, yet subliminally considered, the simple task of minimilising imagery to create maximum exposure.

Steel Panel Series

AL . BRON . TINY . JAMO . & JERRY

Charcoal and rust on panel steel 1.2m x 1.2m

My relational journey outside of the gallery led me to meet some extroidinary folk. In a world where society has been numbed by cyber interaction social development has been lost and the art of conversation, the art of getting to know someone has been lost. I met extremely interesting people in some of the most mundane places, dumpyards, steelworks, engineering companies, all of these people create a part of my art, they are a part of my art, and when I looked into acknowledging not only the lines on their faces but the lines of their lives I found some truly profound stories. This hold true for my love of the juxtiposition between a face on the internet and a face in person.

Abstractions

I find that as an artist my work generally consists of very tight work where there isn't much freedom to flow, I use tiny brushes, or fine charcoal, I develop soft delicate dental sculptures, or resin works so every now and then you will find the odd piece of abstract. For me this is when I simply let myself paint without having boundaries, I don't look at the concepts or question what it all means, I simply paint for a blow out, I love abstract work because it gives me the freedom to breathe and then move onto something more delicate.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
2006 Whitecliffe College End of Year Exhibition
Rimu, matai, kauri and pine slabs, wax, acrylic, pastel, oil & screen printing
1m sq

A expressive piece, the elephant in the room is uncomfortably large, squashed into a tiny space, creating a nuisance to all those around it, both heavy and solid, both bold, and shy, it is exposed.
The elephant in the room is a memory of my life, poetry of my saddest moments highlight the walls, it is about the moments in life everyone comes across but no one discusses. The elephant in the room is about losing your loved one, and wanting to scream from the mountain tops that has happened, it is here in this room with us, it is cancer the of your mother, the disability of your family, or the suicide of your friend, it is losing your baby sister after you watched her with illness, it is the loss of your daughter. The elephant is in the room, the elephant is here, and it is with us.

This piece is like a large distracting self exposing portrait, it looks at the lines and swirls of a life... of my life. It is about a sixteen year old child looking for comfort through loss, and realising that to others loss and pain simply represent an elephant in the room, it is not easy to look in the face, it is easier to look away. I realised however that you cannot shift to hide from it, so I chose to expose it.

Artists Bio

A recent fine art bachelor graduate from Whitecliffe College of Art and Design, I have been a practising artist for over ten years.

My conceptual practices have evolved over time until now to investigate ideas relating to society, and the individual imprints and stories of a person, which at times may be deemed as the mundane chore of living. I have a great passion for exploring the lines and expressions of a face, and the enriched stories of a persons journey, which can be often found in the most ordinary experiences.

Playfully exploring these sometimes sad, humourous and telling moments, my work is often an ambiguous and theatrical display of painting, sculpture, installation and photography which is the end result of a relational journey in my life, outside of the gallery. Concentrating on a labour intensive workforce, alongside political, and social issues found in the various communities in New Zealand, I explore labour, work, and public sites during my investigation.

Formally I have a strong relationship with bold rich colours, not being afraid however to minimize this extravagance in order to enhance a beautifully crafted artwork. My work is often either extremely industrial, or gracefully delicate, as I enjoy the extreme nature of these two juxtaposing formalisms.