The Railway Street artist’s questionnaire invites an artist’s dialogue with the opening questions, Can you tell us a bit about your journey into art?
My early work from 1990 includes life drawing, and other exploration in print. The RSA questions provided are received as an invitation to further deliberate something of the artist’s intention, as I have over several years developed my practice as a healthcare practitioner where some of these great life questions are explored with those others who may ask some of this for themselves. One of my practice qualifications is a 3-year Master of Arts degree in clinical arts therapy, completed with 1st hons in 2007.
What is your philosophical interest, and which elements of your work most reflects you?
In my art-making, the initial drawing process is made with a curiosity about some of the less visible worlds that may sound out a perception of another life realm, such as the perceptions and imaginations of a meta-psychology. Bayles & Orland offer Thomas Kuhn’s words in their chapter conceptual worlds of, ‘the answers you get depend on the questions you ask’.
In a process of life drawing for example, the inquiry about the feminine of her may become apparent. This is where the values that we apply to this art-making context involves a corporeality that is well-recognised in this privileged situation of social intimacy. And for a more specific feminist story, the social contexts of the person and their right to an authentic representation.
What is your greatest achievement so far?
My dissertation project of primary research of ‘the women’s workshop’ is one of these. An intermodal arts exploration for participants of self-portraiture alongside a life situation, using the visual arts, poetic writing and expressive dance. The research interviews, heuristic and hermeneutic formulations were completed over six months.
Which one tool could you not live without?
Good charcoal, compressed hard and willow soft drawing charcoals.
What is your next goal?
While in full-time work, my art work is exhibited in small community events. I would like to complete an oeuvre of new work during this year and next to also consider some of the national events.