And Fear Too

This is one of a series - from the exhibition Beast at Home - in which an imaginary figure, Beast, is involved in some kind of battle with their turbulent surroundings. Beast is a character I’ve followed – as if in my own Manga series – since 2009. Beast is a beautiful superhero battling powerful currents of her own making, forces born of her own misguided desires and untameable impulses, which now bring her into conflict with the environment in which she must survive. But Beast is also a metaphor for our own regrets as we watch our species create unnecessary chaos and destruction. The creation of this series is part of my ongoing attempt to understand why we seem to make the same mistakes over and over again. Humans are apparently the only species that does not, by default, following ancient instincts, make decisions that are in our own best interests. Climate destruction and our refusal to acknowledge our role in it is my primary concern as an artist. My images are often inspired by the imagery of graphic novels, Manga and historical Chinese, Japanese and Indian imagery. I first devised and employed the woollen dust on paper medium in 2004 and have developed it in my practice over a number of years in various ways. It remains for me primarily associated with the transient nature of all things, including my own existence. The medium creates a soft surface, something like felt. It suggests something not quite real or permanent, or perhaps something softened to protect the vulnerable.