My intricate photorealistic portraits are drawn onto tissue paper which are then subjected to a process that could potentially destroy them. The unique, precarious and unpredictable techniques used to create my work is an attempt to avoid the paralysis of perfection and also encourage the acceptance of imperfection.
The process is as much a part of the finished piece as is the final image of the sitter. It can be seen as a metaphor that sometimes external factors, things that we cannot control, can have a direct influence on what we do and how we react.
I have worked in an arts, culture and education environment since graduating with a BA (Hons) Fine Art in 1986. As a practicing artist I have had studios across the North of England as well as exhibited at a number of museums and galleries including Scarborough Art Gallery, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery and Warrington Museum & Art Gallery.
I taught in schools, colleges and universities before becoming a curator and exhibition designer working at a number of museums and galleries including Tate.
As a curator my work has been recognised with a number of awards and in 2015 I was invited to the House of Lords for a reception marking contributions made by individuals to the arts and education.
In 2017 I made the decision to refocus my career and now, returning as NotaWord, I have produced a new body of work representing memories and how chance, risk, uncertainty and also discovery can be influential in how we interpret the past.
My artwork, often taken from my photography, are detailed pencil studies drawn on to archival tissue paper using a 0.2 pilot pencil. Rips and tears in the paper are inevitable and also unpredictable thus creating a balance between tradition and expression, order and chaos.
These drawings are pasted onto boards including distressed plywood, discarded timber and old backboards. This process is like weaving with spiders webs and creates an additional risk of damage or even total loss of the work. Working this way allows the medium a level of control on how the finished work will look thus creating an element of chance to the outcome.
The rationale for this approach is to represent the unpredictability of memory and how this can be distorted and shaped by the viewers’ own experiences.
