You haven’t always been an artist. In fact, you studied World
Religions at college. When did you discover painting?
I was around age eight and I remember going to the
Museum of Fine Art in Boston and seeing a painting
called The Martyrdom of St. Hippolytus. The painting has
Hippolytus’s body spread, tortured and stretched across
three panels. It was like it just kept going. It was the first
painting that I had ever seen that made me feel a deep
sense of horror and fear, as well as wonder and awe.
Your recent exhibition in LA is filled with large portraits called
‘Guardians’ that have been described as ‘part-human, part-
animal, part-deity’. The Guardians hold an ambiguous power
that could be fear, horror or love.
Yes, I like to leave them open ended. I want them to have
multiple identities and purposes: they can hold pain or
joy, wisdom or protection while at the same time offering
viewers the space to remember their own struggle.
These portraits are formed of asymmetrical clusters of heavily
outlined geometric shapes. Each one is distinctive, with its own
different character.
Yes, I often feel like their personalities reflect my emotional
state at the time of painting, whether I’m feeling filled
with anger, anxiety, peace or comfort. These emotions are
revealed in the works through their shape, their edges,
their colors.
Though, in your titles, you didn’t give each Guardian a specific
name to identify them.
No, I simply gave each painting the title ‘Guardian’ followed
by a roman numeral (I–XIII). If I had been more specific
it would have taken away [from] the viewer’s ability
to identify with them and make their own emotional
associations and connections. For me, the Guardians offer
counsel and guidance. They’re like religious protectors but
they’re not specific to one worldview.
Do you always work on a large scale?
Up until now my work has been mostly large scale. When
developing Guardians, I knew that in order for my viewer
to feel the power, protection, and ideology behind the work
I needed to go big. I have always felt captivated by standing
in front of an image that overpowers you, almost Godlike.
How else do you communicate this power?
Color for me has always triggered a lot of emotions so
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before I begin painting, I spend a lot of time developing my
color palette. The colours within and behind each Guardian
become their armour, their story, their triumph. I also feel
that the shading of each piece amplifies their intensity
and energy.
How do you build up this shading? Tell me about your process.
I use cheap brushes to create the texture in my
background. I rip up tee shirts and use rags to smooth my
oil shading. It’s a sort of dance through constant motion:
wiping, smearing, brushing, etc.
Do you think that because you’re a self-taught artist you can
take certain liberties with how you approach your work?
Maybe. As a self-taught artist I think there are certain
liberties I can take that academically trained artists might
not feel able to do. I don’t have the clutter of set rules,
processes and techniques. I simply get to experiment
until I find what works for me. Perhaps this process
would be simpler if I had the knowledge that classically
trained painters have but it might also take away the
sense of discovery I feel when I stumble upon a new way
of doing things through trial and error. It’s a bit like Alice
in Wonderland, falling down the rabbit hole, not knowing
what may come next. I like that feeling.
What do you do if a painting isn’t working? Lots of artists
destroy their work...
No, when I feel a painting isn’t working, I never throw it
out. Instead I paint over it and over it, until it is layered, like
scars. The texture of the paper becomes thick and gritty.
You can see the traces of what was and you can see where I
was once going.
It feels like your recent exhibition in LA with Coates and
Scarry has been a turning point for you? How do you see your
work developing?
I’ve always been fascinated by interior design and
architecture and want to explore using the physical
space of the gallery more. I’m also gearing up for a show
in London in May, which will have a different feel. I first
imagined the Guardians as metaphorical protectors or
angels. Now that they are out in the world, I feel able to
create freely without the darker tone of the works taking
on negative power. I feel like I can start to reveal the light
at the end of the tunnel.