Interview, on work, objects and process. 2013

Do you favour any materials?

Found objects, flexible materials such as: ceramic, wax and textile. Resin is used constantly in my work, in addition to glitter and gemstones.

Can you talk a bit of your working process?

Genially I work from the written word and expand into working drawings, layouts and photographs. The process of working for me is a reaction or a response and the active part of ‘doing’. I make a lot of things that stay a certain way for years and then I come back to them adding all the time. I work often with the idea of deconstruct to construct I see the work I make as investigations of learning a language, giving voices and I describe my work as subtitled metaphors.

What inspires you?

Life; living, observing, commenting and documenting. My work fits the notion of autobiographical work and identity. I am often amazed how a mundane starting point can span years of creativity for me.

The subject of memory; how we as humans conserve, document and treasure memory with tangible things resonates a lot for me. I love the ideas of: where touch meets memory, value and worth, current obsessions, simulated decay and dust colleting. Jewellery for me is a perfect fit.

How would you describe your work in 3 words?

Heterogeneous, Curio and Void

Can you speak more on the found objects you use in your work and why?

I often find this difficult to describe, the collecting side is vast and continuously growing. I honestly think the objects choose me. The making with any found elements or materials I consider to have a memory of their own, of a past existence, I use this as one would a voice layering hidden metaphors and meanings that surface in construction.

This part of my work could be described as a curators touch. Sometimes I think I have clairvoyant gifts for reading found objects and other times I feel it’s the physical act of noticing things that others often don’t. 

How important is the space you work in?

Very, I’m a nester; I have to have things I have chosen around me; on the walls, and on show it’s about creating a womb for me. To others this appears chaotic but I can guarantee there is a process.

What is your favourite piece you have made and why?

The next piece, I see each work as important as any other and an act to learn and develop from.

How do you price your work?

Upon the concept of a ‘finders fee’.

Would you like to collaborate with anyone?

I think it is a beautiful thing to work with people outside your discipline. I would like to make work for a performance for a music video for artists such as Bjork, Patrick Wolf, Patti Smith or Darren Hayes.

All these people interest me.

How important is education for you and your work?

Priceless! It’s important to learn and don’t take education for granted. I am lucky to have had the education I have (I still want more) learn the traditional processes I did, and be taught by the people (artists) I have been. This has all had an impact on my work and life.