Title-”Figure it Out “
Med.- Acrylic paint found wall paper screenprint on canvas
Size-40x30cm
Title-”Yes You Can”
Med.- Acrylic paint found wall paper screenprint on canvas
Size-40x30cm
Title-”Looking Out Paris”
Med.- Acrylic paint found wall paper screenprint on canvas
Size-40x30cm
Title-”Walking in Asnieres”
Med.- Acrylic paint found wall paper screenprint on canvas
Size-40x30cm
COLLECTING
Collecting can become so addictive, especially for an artist. My found objects and things are the inspiration and starting point for most of my artwork and ideas.When I see something; it can trigger of an instant idea and give me a vision to work with.I think this is why I love museums too as display and arranging objects are an important part of my work.
I have been collecting since I was born. I used to hide stuff under my bed in boxes as a child .As an adult I’m still putting stuff into boxes and plastic bags and other strange things. I view my collections as arrangements. They are all art installations scattered around my place as well as material for use in my arts projects
Walking through the streets to the local shop I always come home with something foot trodden. A piece of paper, packaging, a bright piece of plastic, glass all will be used in my art eventually. When I travel overseas (much to the sometimes embarrassment to friends and family) I pick up off the ground, bottle tops, lolly papers, wires bright bits of plastic, even if an item disturbs me I’ll bring it home.On a tour once in Europe the whole busload of passengers collected bottle tops for me.
My stuff may brood for years in a dark space or cupboard till I come across it again sending me off on another project. On my last trip to Paris I came home with 15 kilo of junk. I collected baguette bags, bits of string, stones, free ad cards, labels from food items, torn posters, a book and papers from a bin.
All sorts of ephemera is precious to me. I collect found photographs, as they tell a story about people and places I’ll never know about.I make up my own stories. I collect found images, negatives, scientific stuff,equations, wire,tin,bones, animal skeletons,fur, hair,watches, old mobile covers, eye glasses, shrivelled things,found numbers and fonts from keyboards, magazines and advertising,boxes, packaging,all sorts paper, vintage clothes, fabrics, wall papers,shells, driftwood, snowglobes, toys, childrens books and so much more.
I go to op shops,cities,airports underground spaces ,beaches, garage sales, friends houses and sometimes, find stuff on EBay though, part of the fun and attraction for me is, the actual finding of a material that is discarded and thrown away. I like to recycle it into something else or, just show its beauty, as it is.
Collections of stuff are also extremally important for future generations, for History. 100′s years from now someone may come across my piece of fabric, wallpaper ,lolly paper, box ,bone etc that will give them information on of how we lived in our time, in our place.
Collections are also portraits of those who love to glean….. Check out Andy Warhol’s boxes and boxes of stuff he collected over his life time http://www.warhol.org/collections/archives.html
What do you like to collect?
Some of my Collections
