Working in this way, as followers of my work will know, is a very melancholic journey expressed through my work and words and made through fear and doubt about time and mortality, about control of time and change. I have learned a lot over the past six months that this residency as taken place, I have been through a lot in my personal life and discovered ways of working I would never have thought of if it were not for this opportunity. I have had that voyage around my room, my home, but what has happened is that the voyage has now expanded outwards to places I would never have thought of; voyages in my mind. I have fought with many ideas in search of the abstraction I have had a vision for over many years and because of the nature of Reside, I have reached that vision through the pieces I made here.
I started out thinking about painting, painting is where I've ended up, but in a new way. Apart from this, however, I have made some exciting work with small scale model constructions all based upon the idea of the small looming large, constructions that have left me with ideas about making these in the future as real, large scale landscape pieces, but I have been encouraged how these tiny models have worked ambiguously once photographed. They are simple yet have also had the potential to inform my work on paper too.
Drawing has always been a key element, but I departed from it for a while and again, because of the work here, I have returned to it with interest. I made drawings to give idea for the constructions and paintings, but most importantly, I have made drawings that are works that can stand alone, works with depth and experience.
The paintings have developed a great deal, subtly at times but always forward. They carry, for me, the weight of my thoughts as well as being something that can live on its own, giving back to me even if confronting my self. I believe an artists work should confront the artist.
From here on, after Reside, the work will continue to move forward as it is and I am excited by it. Above all I'll know now that I can be freed from the constraints of working within the home environment by knowing to reside somewhere means residing in ones own mind and that can take me anywhere. I want to move on to painting large scale work, but space is not allowing that at present. I will, however, take the whole process and idea of Reside with me in my work from here on, because it is a good framework. It will soon be time for a new artist to take their place here and I wish them well. For now, as I think about my last post to come later this month, I wil continue on and let the residency make one more influence upon my work.