
ART
Lovers
The Lovers series is an exploration of the ways in which we each exist as individuals within relational contexts. It reflects upon what arises from interactions between us, be they formative, physical, emotional, bonding, wounding, life-altering, taken for granted, repeating, or fleeting. It examines how we define ourselves through the layers of our relational worlds and whether an isolated self can ever really be extracted from our experiences of others, past and present. The series uses 35mm film, a medium often associated with nostalgia, memory, and the preservation of moments, and attempts to abstract such concepts by deconstructing the film to reveal its essential elements: chemicals and plastic. This deconstruction process is done by hand and what develops is presented without digital manipulation. Images depict both beauty and destruction, both vivid, dreamy colours as well as darkness, rips, and tears, mirroring the potential in relationships for immense pleasure, connection, and healing as well as suffering and wounding.
Artist Statement
Influenced by surrealism and interested in abstraction, my practice employs experimental photography and mixed-media techniques primarily to self-reflect. Drawn to all things analogue, I combine film photography with alchemic processes to disrupt the development process and physically alter the resulting images. I also layer photographic images with other media to alter them post-development. Central to my process is working with the dual forces of intention and chaos. I deliberately affect chemical emulsions and apply media which cause unpredictable results. These include light leaks, texture, polychromatic colour, and amorphous shapes. I opt not to digitally edit, preferring a tactile approach, organic outcomes, and to embrace aberrations. This approach facilitates emergent meaning, allowing for symbols, patterns, and narratives to be interpreted post hoc by both myself as the artist and viewer. Themes I explore include personal experiences of emotion states, identity, bisexuality, perception (including synesthesia), and existentialism. I hope to evoke introspection and invite open-ended interpretation rather than prescriptive meaning.