The Work
I mainly work with ready-made objects, usually recovered, or recycled. The whole idea of giving objects a second life, enabling them to be viewed under a different light is important for me. It is the already existing forms that will participate in the creation of a work. There is always a moment when an idea springs up, and we wonder why this idea did not come sooner. To be an artist is to create this possibility between a form already there and what it will become. Sometimes the meeting never takes place. I prefer to create artworks as part of a series, often in the style of trompe-l'oeil. The idea that nothing is quite as it seems is central to my work. There is also a juxtaposition between the technical difficulties of the style and the often-simplistic images and motifs that are presented.
I believe that an artist must either say something or produce an item of beauty. Sometimes it is possible to produce both in the same work of art: intellectually provoking content but also visually beautiful. When s/he intends to say something with their art, be it an aesthetic or political manifesto, humour is a powerful tool. There is, at the heart of my work, an extremely satirical dimension, in that it questions essential elements specific to our consumer society. My work on the iconography of luxury explores the relationships that exist between art and consumption but also all its addictive and deeply superficial aspects. I believe that the society of tomorrow, with the growing influence of social networks, will become more superficial and dangerous. My work attempts to visualize using satire as the approach to this danger.
Beehives
Regarding a Beehive is like sneaking a peek inside the mind of 21st century 'Everyman'. A miscellany of childhood toys, obsolete electrical components alongside discarded utilitarian and personal items; these Beehives rail against the modern world’s preoccupation with material accumulation and the relentless assault by information, images, sounds and other stimuli, which render our psychological-self paralysed and impotent.
Each Beehives appear as a random collection of everyday objects. The use of a single paint colour bestows a uniformity of appearance upon each of the component parts. Yet there is no harmony in the arrangement. The discordant hodgepodge of items appears cluttered, even competitive; each vying to attract the gaze of the viewer.
How can you distinguish and preserve the significant, the personal, the meaningful (thought, memory, emotion) in a culture where banality is venerated
Distinguishing Marques
The series condenses a number of sociologically speaking concepts, including an attempt to re-appropriate the stigma of luxury iconography.
The title - a play on the term "distinguishing marks" used by police to identify people - adds a satirical and dramatic dimension to the series: notably by emphasising the coexistence of a not very noble (or distinguished) material - tin cans - alongside the production of a work that is so aesthetically complete that at first glance it could pass for the branded (marque) goods it seeks to replicate.
Propaganda Principal
This series revisits the iconic images that form a common frame of reference within the cultural imagination of Western society. Here the artist proposes that the visual stigmas behind these codes and legends are not subject to intellectualistic or sociological constraints, but that they cross all layers of society to be perceived in the same way by all individuals.
Each artwork depicts a leading propagator of 21st century mythology, Just as a coat of arms in medieval heraldry afforded the wearer a sense of belonging and identity, these works demonstrate the way in which modern-day symbols have become synonymous with specific concepts and contribute to our own sense of identity.
Identity Badges
The items we accumulate project a particular image of ourselves; a set of values and attributes that we aspire to, or associate with. In this series we examines the contradiction between our desire for individuality and the need to belong.
Each artwork depicts an object: instantly recognisable and embodying particular qualities. The sharp contrast between the medium used (waste items rejected by consumer society) and the image of the finished product - especially that which is an archetype of luxurious perfection - produces a certain incoherence.
Just as the sculptures are not really what they appear to be; then possession of such items may not mark us out as individual or special; but instead simply a member of a different tribe.
Undercover Chanel
In this series I explore the strength of consumer branding within society.
Each artwork within the series depicts a bottle of Channel No.5 perfume....or does it? When we look closely we see that it is simply the shape of the sculpture and the label which denotes the item as 'Channel'. Yet such is the strength of their brand that the inclusion of these two simple elements is enough to signal 'Channel' to the viewer.
Whether it is a collection of children's toys, a discarded mop, an old boot or a selection of Lego: all can be transformed with the simple addition of some lettering and a tin can bottle stopper.
Choking Hazard
With reference to the product warning symbols displayed on children's toys, the "Choking Hazard" series comments on pornography; its pervasiveness and the role it plays in modern life.
Stylised images which appear simplistic upon first view, are belied by the deliberate and precise arrangement of the objects which allows the trompe-l'oeil motif to emerge. By presenting the figures in silhouette we shine a spotlight upon, what are essentially, private acts. The yellow background, like light through a window, bringing much needed warmth to an otherwise stark and desolate tableau.