BIO
(1981 - Ongoing)
I'lI never forget my first day of university. We had been asked to do a project over the summer, and present the results to our new course mates and tutors that morning. I had drawn a piece of graffiti, and when I presented it to the room my tutor turned to me and said, "great... But is it art?". I didn't really know how to interpret that, but remember resenting him for showing me up in front of all those new people, and ultimately questioning my ability to recognise what art was.
On reflection, I realise that he triggered a question in my head that now underpins all my creative projects, and formed the foundation of what my major project; Acrylicize has become. Immediately after graduating, I founded the studio as a vehicle to further analyse this question.
My creative journey started when I was six, learning to play the drums. That first taste of creative expression was intoxicating and I've been chasing it ever since. I still play the drums to this day.
The exploration of what art can be - and the notion of its limitless possibilities - is what drives me as a creative person, and challenges me to make work that rarely fits into a single category or genre. It empowers me to trust my instinct and intuition to guide me to final outcomes, what ever they may be.
Inspired by Nelson Goodman's essay 'When is Art', and driven by the notion that art shouldn't exist exclusively in the gallery space, my practice is an exploration of truth, identity and presence.
Whilst this has driven my work from day one, the output has changed along the way - and will continue to do so. Evolution is critical to forward momentum. The concept of not knowing what is next is incredibly energising, and makes each day I create, the most important day so far.
My work looks at new forms inspired by the old. Pop art illustrated how art and brand could be intrinsically linked, whilst graffiti led me to hip-hop culture and the concept of cutting, pasting, remixing and sampling. Conceptual art emphasised the value of the ‘idea’, focusing on process over outcome through participation. All these influences are woven together in my practice through the lens of Self and Ego and i'm interested in the way these notions exist in constant tension with the world we've built around us.
So, is it art? I keep this question at the heart of my practice, and in doing so create a landscape with no boundaries, and a platform to challenge the creative culture through a healthy mix of chaos and order in a bid to get closer to 'truth', what ever that may be.
On reflection, I realise that he triggered a question in my head that now underpins all my creative projects, and formed the foundation of what my major project; Acrylicize has become. Immediately after graduating, I founded the studio as a vehicle to further analyse this question.
My creative journey started when I was six, learning to play the drums. That first taste of creative expression was intoxicating and I've been chasing it ever since. I still play the drums to this day.
The exploration of what art can be - and the notion of its limitless possibilities - is what drives me as a creative person, and challenges me to make work that rarely fits into a single category or genre. It empowers me to trust my instinct and intuition to guide me to final outcomes, what ever they may be.
Inspired by Nelson Goodman's essay 'When is Art', and driven by the notion that art shouldn't exist exclusively in the gallery space, my practice is an exploration of truth, identity and presence.
Whilst this has driven my work from day one, the output has changed along the way - and will continue to do so. Evolution is critical to forward momentum. The concept of not knowing what is next is incredibly energising, and makes each day I create, the most important day so far.
My work looks at new forms inspired by the old. Pop art illustrated how art and brand could be intrinsically linked, whilst graffiti led me to hip-hop culture and the concept of cutting, pasting, remixing and sampling. Conceptual art emphasised the value of the ‘idea’, focusing on process over outcome through participation. All these influences are woven together in my practice through the lens of Self and Ego and i'm interested in the way these notions exist in constant tension with the world we've built around us.
So, is it art? I keep this question at the heart of my practice, and in doing so create a landscape with no boundaries, and a platform to challenge the creative culture through a healthy mix of chaos and order in a bid to get closer to 'truth', what ever that may be.