CHALLIS, April
At the heart of my work is a response to the environment. As a New Zealander the environment was a central formative experience. Looking back, it is clear that my work has been filtered through a concern for place. I am not an environmentalist but I am interested in the effect we have on our surroundings. These are the points of departure in my work, the things I observe on a day to day basis. From the the plastic detritus picked off the beach to the mountains of polystyrene and cardboard on the roadside where I work. Painting is the major part of my practice and it is principally abstract. There is some representation but it can be as simple as printing from the surface of a found object. This provides an anchor with the subject. I use a range of painting techniques and materials pitting line, pattern, colour, surface, gesture and edges against each other. An individual work is a collection of joined sections which are made independently. Each section has a slightly different quality and is a response to a particular observation or experience. As a result, disparate units sit side by side and this is my intention. Stained raw canvas beside a stencilled or printed surface next to an embroidered passage or a small unidentifiable object stitched to the surface. Unexpected juxtapositions intended to cause a visual jolt. My current project looks at the detritus resulting from mass consumption which is highly visible in the intense and confrontational environment of Hong Kong. I look at the things lying discarded in my immediate environment. My selection is unguided but they are the things that cross my path and draw my attention. They are small indicators of a larger problem, for example the polystyrene protector around a single apple. They can be of interest because of their uncertain origin or function, their peculiar shape or colour but are compelling in some way.These objects can be included as is, can be drawn or become nothing more than a trace. Although the subject is grave I’m drawn to the bizarre and mysterious way things are thrown together. I want to reflect this quandary in my work. An oblique side-eye cast over consumer culture and mass production.