contemporary british artist, contemporary artwork, fabric works, copper panels, stencilling, horror images, metalwork, patinated copper, patination

fine art, street art, painting, american flags

I aim to explore the theme of ‘horror’ and its associations with fear, paranoia and vulnerability.
The contrast between ‘horror’ and the ‘American dream’ underlies my work. I intend to signal public zeitgeist, current affairs and media attention to war, terrorism and politics.

Our association with war is strong and undeniable, being in a ‘war against terror’ has for many proved disturbing, unsettling and indeed set in a ‘state of fear’. When our leaders decisions go against public opinion, our trust in politics diminishes, our safety nets disappear. American foreign policy, Britain’s close alliance with America and George Bush’s dubious administration, has for the public only heightened feelings of fear, paranoia about terrorism and ‘numbed’ disbelief.

In a world where apathy is often an excuse for inaction, our collective feeling of being ‘numb’, debilitated by fear is very well explored in horror films, see Barbara’s vacuous inaction in Night of the Living Dead, Catherine Deneuve in Repulsion beautifully embodies the all American beauty, who suffers from madness, delusions which incite her to violence.

I am concerned with our comfortable, affluent lives filled with media, movies, celebrity obsession, consumerism and the desire for beauty, which distracts us from the more critical truths of real conflict. TV broadcasts are the closest most of us get to seeing the horrors of war, yet computer games and horror films accustom us to seeing death through the TV screen, we become viewers, we are the audience. War and horror has become ingrained into our collective imaginations through the media, creating a feeling of vacuous consumption.

The use of actress’s portraits in horror films is not only a study of images of women, but of seduction, fear and our notion of beauty. Dropped jaw, full lipped wide-eyed, large pupils; the look is instant, attractive, striking and compelling. It could be seen as pornographic, the pupils dilate and the similarity to an open mouthed blow up doll is obvious. It is a heightened pivotal moment, when time appears to stand still.

My use of materials is also based on this concept of ‘time standing still’. I use modern technology; scanners, Photoshop and photocopiers to fine-tune the image, aiming for high contrast imagery which is instant and compelling. I produce an image from a split-second moment in time that is without resolution, taken away from its original context and devoid of narrative. I use materials that have inherent history; vintage American flags, brocade fabric, aged copper and books are used as a canvas. My painting mediums include ink, bleach, stitch, ammonia and spray-paint, which achieves an aesthetic which references both contemporary street art and confessional art.