My work entails an exploration of the passage of time through the discovery of neglected spaces. Referencing the traces of nature, silently merging with humanity through mundane objects. My practice uses imagery to evoke moments of topography, with rust referenced as a visual depiction of decay. My paintings act as a reminder of the beauty that can be seen in the everyday surfaces, encouraging a reconsideration of the ordinary and reflecting on the quiet coexistence between humanity and nature.

​

My paintings investigate how composition and material experimentation, through realism and abstraction can engage with the viewer’s perception. The work draws upon imagery formed through the endurance and deterioration of surfaces on man-made objects that have been gradually reclaimed by nature.

​

I work between creating representational paintings of rusted metal and abstract paintings and drawings. This is to redefine how we observe and approach everyday life, giving value and meaning to these layered forms of deterioration created by the blend of nature and humanity. The abstract paintings are informed by the imagery and the previous paintings specifically, the variety of tones and spontaneous marks that can be seen. The approach to the abstract works has evolved, considering how tones, textures and mark making can create a sense of depth within a piece of work.

​

The materials used for the rust paintings series are oil paint and embroidery thread on canvas, which is used to create a visual texture. The rust series are presented on a range of sizes of canvases which vary between 42x59cm, 60x60cm and 59x84cm. In addition, materials seen within the abstract paintings are acrylic ink, watercolour and thread on canvas which also vary on sizes of 21x30cm and 42x59cm. I work on different sizes as each one changes the way I approach the work. The larger works I can focus on the detail and explore different compositions. The smaller works allows me to be expressive within a controlled area and focus on the small detail of texture from the thread.

​

Thread is a main component within my work as both mark and gesture. Beyond creating texture, it acts as a point of connection between the viewer and the surface itself. The repetitive act of stitching becomes meditative, embedding process and time into the canvas. The results from the visual texture shifts across the canvas, allowing the eye to wander and drift through the layers of materials.

​

Material research has been important within my body of work, as it has resulted in a deeper understanding of how decay can be viewed in a contemporary setting. These concepts can be found in Documents of Contemporary Art: Ruins (2011) by Brian Dillon, which examines the development and exploration of contemporary ruins in cultural discourse, aesthetics and artistic practice. My work reflects on the concept of decaying surfaces as a capsule of the gradual change over time, as “decay is a concrete reminder of the passage of time. And yet by definition it survives… somehow outlives us”.[1]  I use the concept of depicting decaying surfaces as a reminder that everything will slowly perishes, and what has remained is the evidence of the object eroding. This summary by Dillon of Georg Simmel’s essay The Ruin (1911) describing it as a late iteration of the ruin aesthetic that emerged over the previous two centuries. Simmel describes the vision of decay as “the artificial object sliding…towards an organic state. Until the end nature has its way.”[2] I use this within my practice through exploring time, decay, and the gradual reclaiming of nature merging with man-made surfaces.

​

[1] Dillon, B. (2011) Ruins. London: Whitechapel Gallery. p 11

[2] Dillon, B. (2011) Ruins. London: Whitechapel Gallery. p 13

​