It has been said that
the issue of climate change looms as “the great moral challenge of our
generation” and the public discourse has steadily increased in
intensity over the last decade or so. Now that the effects of this
unparalleled existential threat to our contemporary way of life, is
asserting itself with ever growing momentum, I find that I am
compelled to add my small voice to the din of public debate that
pervades our media and in turn our consciousness.

In many ways the covid-19 pandemic is a taste of what we have install,
as temperature change in turn impacts the spread of insect plagues and
disease, and the melting permafrost uncovers viruses that have laid
dormant for thousands of years. The increase in prevalence and
intensity of bush fires, floods and adverse weather events adds to the
immediacy of the threat and our collective responsibility to undertake
profound action with haste and diligence.

My arts practice has been inevitably drawn toward issues of social
prominence, from environmental themes to the plight of refugees and
their harsh incarceration at the hands inhumane policy and political
agendas. I absorb and am influenced by media debate and am not afraid
to disclose my own political standpoint through the content of my art
works.
I work in a variety of mediums and techniques that have been developed
over 33 years of dedicated practice to help me capture something of
the essence and resonance of my given subject. I have never been an
illusionistic painter, and feel most comfortable working in a rather
abstract and flat space where layering is deployed to add depth, and
recreate a version of reality and so the realistic is veiled in my
imaginative interpretations.

To bring oneself to a point of being ready to share your work with a
wider audience is an immense challenge, but one that is so valuable
for the artist in the elucidation of ideas and realisation of a
complete series of work. That last crucial piece of the creative
process, is indeed formal presentation and the ensuing interaction
with an audience. Unfortunately I am yet to successfully find a venue to hold an exhibition, a source of frustration as I feel I need this as an incentive to continue to strive.

In conjunction with my visual artwork, paintings and works on paper in
a variety of mediums, I am recording a suite of music that further
enhances my elucidation of each aspect of my subject. I am a
classically trained multi-instrumentalist and have been engaged in the
composition and recording of music in a variety of idioms since 1992.
From new classical to experimental, pop and alternative forms. In my
most recent work, I combine vocals with violin, mandolin, zither,
glockenspiel and guitar to create texturally rich compositions that
are inspired by the physical layering of multi media art materials.
You could say that I paint like a musician, and create music like a
painter! I have always had these two strings to my bow, but now would
like to present them in equal measure to engage and stimulate and
create interest in my potential audience.

Artists are champions of sensitivity, and in sharing unique
perspectives aim to enrich the senses of others and promote deep
thought. They can provide an engaging alternative to the strident
voices that pervade the media that can cause segregation and
polarisation in the opposing camps. To achieve genuine change and
embrace a sustainable future, we all need to work together. Lofty
sentiments I know, but this is the only way I know how to contribute,
whether that be by means of a carefully rendered protest sign for a
rally, a street art paste-up or in this my proposal for a more traditional
presentation of an exhibition.

New Winter Extinction – Acrylic on canvas 160 x 120 cm