Previous Work

‘The ‘sun’ design is based upon a tribal sun image imposed upon a geometric grid. Both are original designs influenced by indigenous British culture and non-representational religious work, such as Indian yantras and Islamic geometric decoration. The work was conceived as part of a multi-disciplinary piece which included music and dance. Dance has been important since the time early mankind became conscious of itself; as a way of making social bonds and keeping social structure. Shamens/healers/medicine-men use dance to reach trance states so they can bridge this material plane with other realms, representing their companions in the world of spirits for various reasons. In a similar way the ‘sun’ images accompanied with the correct music can hold the attention of the viewer in such a way that they become objects for meditation, and are transformed by the interpretation, via the use of imagination. Thus the individual pieces are large to completely fill the viewers vision.’

‘Probably humanities first deity, we have a complex relationship with the sun. As befitting a god it is both benevolent and malevolent. In cold Northern European climes viewed as a female comfort giving, life affirming goddess. In southerly, warmer climates as a vengeful, cruel, ambiguous father. In our scientific age we know the sun is the life-bringer, even though without our protective ozone covering the solar flares that erupt from it’s surface would turn us to ash. It’s gravitational grip attracts rocks that have and will smash into us, bringing the possibility of extinction, and even if we survive these threats, it will expand  and like the Greek God Saturn devour it’s children in a final act of destruction.’

‘Another tantric visualisation practice involves the use of a mandala, a circular design containing geometry shapes in the centre. The person meditating on the mandala mentally concentrates on that image and becomes one with it. Mandalas have been used by many cultures to represent the creation of the Universe. Carl Young has theorised that ‘mandalas represent centering (sic), the unification of parts of the psyche’ -Seeing With the Minds Eye: The history of techniques and uses of visualisation, Mike and Nancy Samuals.

‘ The Sundance was practiced by most plains tribes. Form varied by tribe, but essentially the dance was a plea to the spirits for power…… it was a manifestation of the Indians deep spirituality, his faith in the guardian spirits which he sensed in the natural world around him’ –The Art of Frank McCarthy, Elmer Kelton

‘These photographic portraits wither much sooner than we ourselves do, whereas the painted portrait is a thing which is felt, done with love or respect for the human being that is being portrayed’ -Vincent Van Gogh