Some thought on method

Art is a way of understanding the world, of making sense of the peculiar condition which is to be human. For me art is a way of thinking, and I am very interested in how other people, particularly other artists do think. How certain actions, certain patterns and traditions conspire in a person to make them function differently to an other. Culture and symbols can be seen as a way of coping, a way of organizing complex and primitive emotional responses. In my art I create for myself a system of personal iconography, which I draw from my various influences but filter though by particular lenses. By people who know me I am often seen as being oblivious or whimsical, which can in turn often make me seem possibly a bit like a fool, a lovable fool, which is a role I am well aquiped to play, drawing on my Irish ancestry. Yet that obliviousness as perceived by others, is by me seen as more of an obsessive focus. I can have a very one track mind, never is my mind more one track though as when I'm drawing. I have often described drawing as like having a conversation with myself, I produce these images, and at first all I'm after is, foremost the act of drawing itself. Drawing to me is like meditation, after I am in this state, then all I'm after is an an expression of a feeling and often I'll have a general idea of what I'm doing with reference to previous work I've done. After that the symbols and patterns that I draw reveal to me the state of mind I'm in, how I feel about myself and what I'm interested in, and often why I'm interested in it, in this way I am communicating with myself.

Apart from shamelessly ranting about myself, I wanted to use this blog post to explain some visual ideas that I have in my mind, which I plan on working on.

* Milk-crates: lately I have been drawn to the intricate detailing and design of milk-crates, I plan on collecting them and sorting through them, just acquiring them on mass and then sorting though them, then cutting them and using them as frames for drawings, similar to how I use the tree motif in my previous work.

*Caves: I have traveled around a lot, lived in many different houses, something I do the first day I move into a new room is to decorate the walls, never the same, I try to show progression through change. Still though I consider my wall offering to be symbolic of the views I hold and the person that I am. I am interested in taking a series of photographs of other peoples 'caves', how I picture it is them sitting on their bed, with an instrument (musical or otherwise, I consider anything used to make something an instrument, so... books, knives, cellos, hammers) The bed symbolises a place of rest, and the instrument a place of activity and experimentation. On the wall behind the figures would be how they have decorated their space.

*sculpture: inspired by Kiki Smith and her representation of women as a representation, I wish to attempt sculpture, representing man as a representation of my self. This is a project I am just doing some sketches and mulling over, I will need to wait at least until next year to execute it because I don't have the facilities, but I might make models, or experiment with felt and cardboard. I really want to work in the medium of glass and porcelain though.

finally these are some works which are inspiring to me at the moment

drawing restraint 9 by Mathew Barny, a film which serves as a sculpture. I sat transfixed though this film the whole way though, the drama created with rhythm, repeated symbols and graceful slow movement is breath taking. What really shocks me is how shocking stillness can be, the amount of hatred this work of art inspired from people is insane. It seems that today, for a film director to repeat a sequence or to hold the camera on a scene for more than ten minutes is the up most degree of arrogance. Bombarding the viewer with eight different camera angles of the same fast paced car chase on the other hand...