ARTIST STATEMENT
Based in the south side of Glasgow, I use stencilling as a basis to explore the landscape and my work is a study of form, structure, light and colour.
Graduating from The Glasgow School of Art in 2015 with an honours degree in Fine Art, my stencilling work began with an exploration of vacant urban space; particularly empty industrial buildings around central Scotland, full of grime and metal and stories, looking to address the decay of once seemingly irreplaceable and indestructible cornerstones of the urban community. It reflected nature’s reclamation of these spaces as industry became service, with an emphasis on graffiti and a nod to the lawlessness within these empty shells.
Over recent years, my work has tended much more towards natural landscapes; mountains, valleys, coastal views, rock formations etc. and I’ve spent a substantial amount of time working my way around Scotland – particularly the West Coast and Islands – gathering source material and inspiration. It’s been an interesting challenge to merge distinctly natural subject matter with synthetic media but it’s been something which I’ve enjoyed and I’m constantly learning and evolving. Through a labour-intensive process, the focus is on the handling of the materials, and the composition and fragility of the stencil. I aim to create a physical piece of work that can be appreciated for its craft and complexity as well as something that responds directly to the subject matter.