I am a mixed media artist from Northern Ireland working primarily with materials which are old, unloved and discarded. My choice of medium is born of the belief that nothing is worthless and that with foresight and creativity we can instil new life into the old and unwanted. By so doing, it is also possible to improve our environment and create a better world for future generations.
My work aims to look at the relationship between humanity’s compulsion with the collecting of objects and how, with the passage of time, that which was once cherished is rejected and reviled. As society’s tastes change, objects are perceived as outdated and ultimately labelled as worthless.
I have a passion for collecting and my work begins by sourcing items which appeal to something within me. Transformation is initiated by documenting my feelings, ideas and innermost thoughts by means of sketching, painting and collage.
My processes focus on the potential of each individual object. By remodelling and altering in a variety of ways, the ugly, the kitsch and the disregarded are reworked and subsequently allowed to morph into a completely new form, an object at home in a contemporary world.
My work has evolved from a fascination with vintage ceramic figurines, found objects, Victorian taxidermy and all manner of ephemera. It is a celebration of the rebirth of the gauche, ugly and unloved. By looking at these objects with a fresh eye and modifying and beautifying these neglected items, I have discovered that the caterpillar really can become the butterfly and with an improved ethos on recycling and reusing, our planet may face a more positive future.