LOVERS-THE LOVERS SERIES DISCUSSES ISSUES INVOLVING PERSONAL IDENTITY. THE WORK FOCUSES ON THE IDEA OF LOSS OR GAIN OF SELF WHEN FORMING RELATIONSHIPS, BEING IN RELATIONSHIPS AND COMING OUT OF THEM. THE SIZE SCALE OF THE FIGURES IS MANIPULATED TO EXPRESS THE SHIFTS IN POWER WHICH OCCUR BETWEEN PARTNERS.
THE WORK BEGAN WITH A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF LOVERS WHO HAD RECENTLY SEPARATED. EACH “LOVER” WAS PHOTOGRAPHED SEPARATELY AND ASKED TO FOCUS ON THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS DURING THE SESSION. THE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN AGAINST A WALL AND WITH A LONG WOODEN PLANK. THE PHOTOGRAPHS MORPHED INTO DRAWINGS AND THEN PAINTINGS MADE WITH OIL PAINT AND PAPER....2008
PLATES- THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS DERIVING FROM SEXUAL, SOCIETAL ROLES SUCH AS THE "PERFECT HOUSEWIFE" MOTHER ROLE OR "HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD" FATHER MODEL CAN MAKE OR BREAK A SINGLE PERSON OR A RELATIONSHIP. TILES AND PLATES WERE USED AS THE BASIS FOR THIS WORK BECAUSE THEY ARE REPRESENTATIONS OF HOME AND MORE SPECIFICALLY THE KITCHEN.
THE PLATES SERIES ONLY FOCUSES ON THE FEMALE REACTION TO THE SOCIAL, DOMESTIC CONSTRUCTS REGARDING THE ROLES OF THE WIFE, THE MOTHER AND EVEN THE GIRLFRIEND. A STATEMENT IS BEING MADE HERE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO WOMEN WHEN THEY ARE PRESSURED TO FULFILL THE ROLE OF THE “HOUSE WIFE”. THE WOMAN IN THE PLATES IS BEING FORCED EITHER BY HER PARTNER OR BY OTHER EXTERNAL INFLUENCES TO BECOME "DOMESTIC." THE EXTERNAL THEN EFFECTS THE INTERNAL AND HER OWN CONSCIOUS COULD BE THE ULTIMATE FACTOR WHICH LEAVES HER HELPLESS. THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DOMESTICATION SHE MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN OR SACRIFICED HER OWN HOBBIES, EXPRESSION AND MAYBE EVEN HER OWN HAPPINESS. THIS IS WHY THE FEMALE IN THE PLATE IS SHOWN HANGING FROM ROPES AND HER OWN CLOTHING. HER BODY IS LEFT EXPOSED AND SHE IS PHYSICALLY HELPLESS. SHE IS TRAPPED INSIDE THE TRENDY DISHWARE, FROZEN IN TIME, FROZEN INSIDE EXTERNAL EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT SHE SHOULD BE. 2008
THE SCIENCE OF NATURE-THIS WORK FOCUSES ON THE IDEA OF HUMANKIND AND OUR RELATIONSHIP TO NATURE. THE IMAGES OF HUMANS IN THE WORKS ARE ONLY REPRESENTATIONS OF MAN HIMSELF AND NOT INDICATIONS OF SPECIFIC PERSONALITY TRAITS RELATING TO EACH INDIVIDUAL SUBJECT.
THE PIECE TITLED, “TWINS” PORTRAYS A PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE BETWEEN HUMANS AND THEIR NATURAL HABITAT, WHILE OTHER IMAGES SHOW THE CLASH WHICH OFTEN BECOMES EVIDENT BETWEEN HUMANS AND THEIR ORGANIC SURROUNDINGS. THE GRAIN OF WOOD IS REDRAWN IN WHITE ON TOP OF ACTUAL WOOD GRAIN AND LEAVES ARE DRAWN IN WHITE ON A GREEN BACKGROUND TO ILLUSTRATE HOW MAN CONSTANTLY MANIPULATES NATURE.
OTHER WORK IN THE SERIES SHOWS A MAN IN THE POSITION OF A FETUS BEARING SEEDS. THIS WORK DESCRIBES HOW HUMANS ARE ACTUALLY A PART OF NATURE’S INNATE CYCLE. OFTEN TIMES CONSIDERING ONESELF AS PART OF THIS GIGANTIC AND ALSO SIMPLE SUCCESSION WE LABEL NATURE CAN BE SOOTHING TO THE PSYCHE. THIS THOUGHT PROCESS WAS CONSTANTLY CONSIDERED WHILE THE WORK WAS CREATED.
THE PAINTINGS ARE MADE WITH A MIXTURE OF STRONG MAN MADE CHEMICALS SUCH AS POLYESTER AND NATURAL MATERIALS SUCH A WOOD AND FLOWER PETALS... 2007
