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I believe that any good work of art will have layers of meaning and depth which require an explanation, however this does not mean that a work of art cannot even begin to be understood or appreciated without one. When a work of visual art needs an explanation as its starting point, it has already failed as a work of art.
With this in mind, I set out to produce work that wouldn't require any knowledge of the culture or history of society or art and could be equally accessible to everyone. Initially I used mathematics, geometry, logic and systems as a way of producing images free of any personal baggage. My intention was to produce images which can't be ignored. Art for the eyes to act as a catalyst for the brain, a kind of non chemical stimulant. Compositions of colour and form which draw the mind in and compel it to make sense of what it sees.
Inevitably, I have found representational possibilities occuring as the work develops. Meditative objects are an open invitation to projection, they become mirrors to the mind. The underlying principle of Zen - everything is nothing. Geometry is a universal language, part of the collective unconscious. There is an emotional aspect to mathematics and logic as well as a rationale behind emotions. It is this simple balance I'm now exploring. In a way my work is a reflection of all that is around me, both inside and outside my head. My intention is that it should have the same effect on the observer. After the initial "faces in the fire" reaction, I would like to think that people can begin to evaluate their own emotional responses to colours, lines, angles and curves so that they can better appreciate their susceptibility to external and internal stimuli. I would also like my work to give nothing more than simple mindless pleasure. |
