The exhibition Infinitas Gracias: Mexican miracle paintings at the Wellcome Collection is easily one of the most inspiring and beautiful shows I have seen in recent memory. This collection of small, votive paintings - mainly by anonymous artists - was an accidental discovery I made on my way to a doctor’s appointment!
http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions/infinitas-gracias.aspx
Some recent favourites
An image of “Macho Man” from the Savage show. There was quite a bit of press, one link for now: http://www.thegridto.com/culture/arts/much-macho/
Rodeo Beach, just north of San Francisco, is one of my favorite places in the world. The beach is made up entirely of these beautiful, round stones. I feel like it’s a beach made of gems every time I visit.
Origins, 2011
This piece of brain coral sat in the courtyard of my flat for over a year. Every time I saw it I wondered where it had come from and how it ended up in this courtyard in London of all places. I finally decided that it should have a home and while living in my studio it transformed into this shadow box. The background is made of hair that I covered with a thick layer of varnish.
Mountains and Rivers, 2011
It took me a long time to decide on a background for this work. I started with the interior of the box being lined with gold leaf, but it looked flat. I added gold paint for texture, but it still felt claustrophobic. I went through a brief period where I was going to mosaic the background with pottery shards found on the banks of the Thames. Finally I decided on a glossy black interior and gold and silver sparkles on the back wall. I wanted the interior and the background to trigger thoughts about the world beyond this magical little bonsai with the pearl growing in its roots. The box is that tree’s universe.
brothers, 2011
brothers 2011
Untitled
My newest projects are all ceramic - this is one of a series of vessels that I am going to paint and glaze. It is made of crank (gritty stone wear). Rather than throwing on a wheel I constructed it by rolling out the clay into a sheet and then wrapping it around a cardboard tube. Throwing crank on a wheel is sort of like trying to hold on to spinning sand paper. Yes, I learned that the hard way.
Nathaniel invited me to participate in this show - I am nearly finished making a pop icon / 80’s style portrait of the Macho Man. I used glitter glue, sharpie marker, tin foil, tissue and gold leaf to construct it. I am going to have it framed tomorrow - can’t wait to see what it looks like. I always find framing a work really “activates” it.
Shots from a series of photographs I started this summer called Visitors
Emeralds and a bird skull I am using as part of a continuing investigation on Quetzalcoatl and Aztec iconography in general.
Another work in progress. I bought a wood carving knife recently with the intention of making some miniature totem poles, but discovered that unless I buy much softer wood the only thing I am going to be consistently carving is my left hand. I found this stick in London Fields and absent-mindedly made these divots while I was thinking about the totem pole only to find that it transformed into a piece of its own. The threads are glued onto the back are going to be spaced symmetrically to look like a sun burst behind the carving which will then be housed in a shadow box I am currently building.
My studio box.
I am an artist and a photographer, I hope you enjoy your visit.
