Out of Kilter 2022
"When the world in balance ceases to be, so too are the works which spill from the artists easel".
At the time of making, I often feel separate from the work, trusting and allowing the process to unfold, not always knowing exactly what is being said, but once complete and on reflection, a narrative reveals itself. To me, this is the creative process at its best.
‘Out of Kilter' is a body of work which reflect what Covid ‘19 threw us into. There is a feeling of unsettled turmoil and intersecting ideas which formulate a collection of works as opposed to a series of similar themed works. While we couldn’t be in a more grounded country to endure such a pandemic, nevertheless, we weren’t quite sure what the future would hold. This imbalance pushed and pulled the work yet somehow managed to symbolize an image set depicting personal reflection, historical meanderings and a subtle reminder that those we hold dear are everything.
Windshift
120 x 140cm, Oil on Belgian Linen, 2021
Omens can be perceived as instincts, being able to read the signs and take the necessary precautions. With the atmospheric Bethells Beach (Te Henga) as the backdrop, the boy looks toward the oncoming storm and weighs his options.
Night Owl
90 x 90cm, Oil on Belgian Linen, 2021
Stolen as the night, dancing shoes on ice, left on this marble shelf, my buds will need suffice.
Praxis
70 x 115cm, Oil on Belgian Linen, 2021
Praxis speaks to the process of things. As children, we enact skills by trial and error in order to prepare us for more dangerous pursuits. We attach meaning to the things which shape us, form memories and over time create nostalgia. I found this remnant in an overgrown, disused playground in Akaroa. It reminded me of one in my local playground in Corsair Bay. A patchwork album of monikers, love declarations and an undeniable statement that at one point in history, ‘I was here’.
Showdown
80 x 64.5cm, Oil on Belgian Linen Bonded Panel, 2021
History is undeniable, whose history, subjective. Times change and with that, so does the practice of play. We held onto the innocence of youth and were guided by the surrounding culture oblivious to wider context. There was just us and them, simple, interchangeable. At least until the call for dinner - no weapons at the table.
Adrift
90 x 90cm, Oil on Belgian Linen, 2021
We don’t always get the parents we want or need. Their decisions or lack thereof can heft responsibilities upon shoulders barely broad enough to carry a loaf, never mind a loafer.
An Ordinary Gesture
90 x 90cm, Oil on Belgian Linen, 2021
The silent ambiguity of confusion and irrelevance. Caught between spaces belies the uncertain times we find ourselves in. Are we coming or going, drowning or waving, saying hello when we mean goodbye. We are indeed, knee deep in it.
Pressure Drop
74 x 70cm, Oil on Belgian Linen, 2017
If I forget where I came from, submerge me in a rock pool, drape me in seaweed and leave me to remember.
