ARTIST'S STATEMENT 2010

"If you were to ask a group of people to describe a flower, you would undoubtedly end up with several different answers. Some would describe the physical features of the flower whilst others would describe the smell or feel of the object.

Some might even relay how the plant came into being or it's scientific name and genus. Basically, we all have different ways of looking at the same thing and how we interpret it depends on various factors of ourselves – education, environment, upbringing, beliefs etc.

When developing this body of work, I was interested in investigating the possibility of how images could be reinvented, reworked and manipulated, resulting in varied interpretations of the same thing. By using four initial images of Geisha, I have created a number of re-interpretations; some literal and some lateral. The common thread with these interpretations is the use of the grid. For centuries, the grid has been used in art for a number of different reasons Ð composition, effect, reproducing images and layout. Visually, the grid is evident in all of my pieces while being subtly enhanced with shellac. Through the age old practice of weaving, grids manifested themselves within wallpaper and coloured images. These were then developed and reworked into larger, more complex pieces.

As the images of the Geisha were altered and reworked, a similarity was developing between this manipulation and the actual character of the Geisha themselves. While they strive to make themselves neutral, they are in fact quite complex. By altering their physical features, their superficial beauty becomes irrelevant and we are presented with earthy, unsettling images that are perhaps truer to their real selves. Peel back the layers and you'll find the true being – the actual person."