Nothing I see – through the movement of time, tide, seasons, weather, weathering and light - can ever look the same again. My medium is photography - light burns into the back of my camera for a split second to leave its traces; and I find, and value, a tiny two-dimensional reminder of one view, of one place, at one moment in time.

My process is investigation through dissection and reflection –

What made me stop to capture that particular image? Why that viewpoint, and that moment?

What did the light draw that I have yet to see?

Unpredictable. Sometimes I discover entirely new places, sometimes faces and the forms of creatures. I have found images of air and water that deserve to be materialised as huge, free-hanging, translucent silk panels: images whose figures should stand at least three metres tall: images that ask to be left on slabs of timber or steel or rock: and some I should like to project onto the white cliffs that spawned them.

Towner selected two for the East Sussex Open exhibition. An honour and a thrill: but the work needed to transform – from tiny jpegs into pieces for a large gallery – and I very quickly found the boundaries and my new challenges.

AA2A gave me opportunities to find ways through existing limitations - it allowed me to test formats, scales and media which might speak more eloquently about the character of place and the pervading atmospheres that evolve from the photographs. I had chances to explore, with the input of other artists, the connections between my work and the landscapes, natural processes and raw materials which prompt its making. AA2A also led me to discover a fascination for chasing after the structures, spaces and patterns that my photographs of architecture and interior spaces might have hidden within them.

PAST EXHIBITIONS 

 ‘UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL’ PORTRAIT EXHIBITION - HATTON GALLERY, NEWCASTLE 2006

 ‘FRIENDS OF HATTON’ RECENT WORKS - HATTON GALLERY, NEWCASTLE 2006

 ‘ARC’ - STOCKTON ON TEES 2007

 ‘BRANDED’ - PYTHON GALLERY, MIDDLESBROUGH 2008

 ‘EMPTY SHOP’ - DURHAM 2009

 ‘BOOK ART’ - MIDDLESBROUGH CENTRAL LIBRARY 2009

 ‘CAN YOU’ -  DEGREE SHOW TEESSIDE UNIVERSITY, MIDDLESBROUGH 2009

 ‘IMAGINARY PARLOUR’ - WE ARE OPEN MIDDLESBROUGH 2010

 ‘ARTWINS PROJECT’ - OBERHAUSEN, GERMANY 2010 

 'THE TEEN COMMANDMENTS' - NORTHERN STAGE, NEWCASTLE 2010

I AM CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS MY FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION AT THE   PYTHON GALLERY MIDDLESBEROUGH 2011

From initial graduate study of illustration and ceramics I have gravitated towards photography and now create digital and mixed-media pieces from photographs and scanned objects/textures. I am fascinated by motion blur, multiple exposure and ways to capture and/or simultaneously represent time and experiences. As such, my images are heavily layered and often created as sets. I have spent the past year exploring a range of ideas and techniques and am now keen to refine an emergent concept into a coherent body of work for exhibition and publication. Pushing Boundaries is a mixed-media approach that will be largely informed by indigenous art (African, Native American, Australian) which expresses deep cultural links to place. The legacy will be the development of an interdisciplinary residency programme centred on developing environmental awareness through the visual arts. This aims to encourage a change in perceptions of the value of art education through working with subject areas not usually associated with learning through visual expression. The ultimate goal is a wider recognition and acceptance of the relevance of interdisciplinary experiences and systems thinking in how we learn.

The AA2A scheme offers an invaluable opportunity to take this forward within a vibrant, contemporary, creative arts environment. Access to specialist facilities, lecture programme and library will allow greater practical and intellectual exploration of the theme. It will also be rewarding to work alongside creative people. For me - a walking advertisement for lifelong learning - interaction with other artists, educators and students is fundamental to remaining creative and forward thinking.