Fine Art undergraduate Kingston University London | Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
My work investigates the slowing down of time. Whether this notion takes place within the process of my projects or the outcome, I see it as an opportunity to have a momentary connection with the natural pace of life itself. My interest lies within the therapeutic nature of art, whilst my research and practice explores critical approaches to society compared with nature.
The emergence of technology as a medium within art practice has opened many interesting, labour and time saving doors which could have never been possible before. However, this can add pressure on the artist to produce ever more complex pieces of work in a shorter time without necessarily having a great deal of artistic talent. I also find that, in some cases, the therapeutic and relaxing aspects which prevail in more traditional art can sometimes be lost behind the glow of a screen. My aim has been to find a balance between the more conventional traditions involving art as a therapy whilst allowing technology to play a part in the production.
Previously, I have produced two bodies of work over a prolonged period which have both helped me to understand the importance of slowing down time, to the point where the process becomes the art itself. The first was a series of six foot tall installations made entirely from string and nails. I had spend many hours attaching string from a silhouetted figure outlined by nails, to an angled wall creating a darkened space between the two, representing mans controlled freedom. Throughout this process, I found myself immersed in a completely meditative and peaceful state. The second, unrelated piece was achieved using a computer to create a stop motion animation displaying the movement of hands. This process involves piecing twenty-five drawings together for every second therefore consumes a lot of time.
Although both had different intended outcomes, the timeless and meditative theme emerged and made an important link for me as the artist.
My subsequent art projects share these moments of peace and tranquility with the viewer. Having grown up in the open beauty of the Mendip country side, I have always been exposed to and interested in the habitual flow in which nature ticks by. The gradual change of season or the gentle rising and setting of the sun each day are great examples of how much slower the natural world exists against our frantic,
disembodied society that we, as humans, have created. Even the gentle flow of water along a stream to a sudden, tumbling and pounding fall, in many ways, reflects the transition in pace I have experienced between a country village and a capital city. By capturing and filming these natural occurrences as they happen in a transcendental style, I aim to bring that awareness into the hustle and bustle of city life to show that it is not just exclusive to the countryside. I want my art to convey the the rhythms of the natural world, reconnecting the audience with the pace of our primeval selves.
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