Artist Statement

Artist Statement

I have always been intrigued with history, and recent explorations and research into my own family tree have provided the catalyst for my interest in creating a discourse with my ancestors and my role within the family. I wish to create a dialogue between myself and the exploration of past generations.
For Art Praxis 1 I have created a series of encounters with my own personal archive. I am interested in the way in which documents such as photographs and written texts are kept over the generations and how these can be interpreted and re-interpreted in new ways within my own lifetime through my practice. I have collected and collated memoirs, letters, photographs, writings, interviews and objects as research to create different modes of documentation.
I am also interested in the authenticity of images and how narratives can be easily constructed around what we see. The truth of the image is not necessarily what we view. This in itself can be a construct set up for the viewer by the photographer or subject to provoke a particular response.
I use a variety of materials and processes through my work in order to engage with and explore the themes in more detail. I am particularly interested in textiles and needlework as this is an intrinsic part of my practice. This stems from the fact that there are four generations of seamstresses in my family and currently manifests itself as both physical objects such as samplers and garments as well as contextual and historical references to the role of the seamstress throughout history. My work therefore is a document which is simultaneously the inquiry and the process.