Just because we play doesn't mean that we don't take care of our toys and put them back in the box after we are finished with them.

People will often say that artists 'colour outside the lines', by which they try to suggest that artists employ an air of creativity driven by chance. And my previous blog comments about the nature of play may suggest that I subscribe to such ideas. Chance however is the least useful tool in a real artists repertoire, no 'happy little accidents' need apply here Bob. And as for pouring paint, well where do we start...

On the whole an artists greatest tool is control, It may be true that from time to time something unexpected happens that can enhance a piece of art. Even within a controlled system there is a small element of chance which can be appreciated and taken advantage of by an artist. Many modern and contemporary painters work in a loose style which is probably what suggested this notion of chance to begin with.  People tend to mistake these artist's styles for a lack of control; nothing could be further from the truth. Even, or perhaps especially, a painter with a looser, freer, style will carefully consider each brushstroke before, during and after its application. 

When I create a sculpture such as Crow (above) from found materials I set myself certain ground rules which control and limit the playfulness of the operation. That may sound like a very calculated way to work but it is all part of the concept behind such pieces. The rules that govern this type of creation are actually very simple:

Firstly, I must only use the materials presented. No other materials, including fixings or glue may be utilised. Crow is just held together by the grip of the clamps themselves. 

Secondly, I must use all of the materials presented. No parts can be left out. Crow is constructed from all of the components of an 8 piece clamp set (pictured below). 

And finally the parts used must not be modified in anyway which would affect their day to day use. All components must be able to be returned to their original function at any point. 

Crow takes its name from both noun and the verb: crow.

Anthropomorphism & Abstraction. Objects of presence and question.

Is it an obsession or just an interest? Certainly I am fascinated by the idea of how an image or an object can be perceived as something...else. Something alive usually. I think we as a species have an in bult desire, or perhaps even a need,  to see or cast human traits onto inanimate objects or images. Perhaps in is a desire for company, to not be alone. But perhaps that is only a part of it, Certainly there are times when objects are seen as thing other than human or animal. So perhaps it is a desire to cast 'meaning' onto these objects? To find meaning in an increasingly confusing world?  A desire to understand and decipher the unknown through constant questioning? Part of the universal question, that sounds like something from Hitchhikers...

Making art. Daily practice. On the nature of play.

A good artist should always ask questions and in turn encourage the public to do the same. Back when I was on my first artist residency at Cow House Studios in Ireland, I developed a process of working which involved making a daily piece of art out of whenever was lying around. This can be considered as a form of play and as such it requires constant inquiry into possibilities. Not a unique practice I know, but certainly a helpful one at times. When on a residency one must develop new ideas quickly as a form of stimulus for other works. Not everything ‘works’, most of the time it is just the process that matters. However, it is by maintaining this constant level of inquiry that new ideas are created.
​
One of the things that I found to 'play with' during this time was a set giant Jenga  which I utilised as a box of, sculptural, building blocks. These went through many incarnations, most of which were unrewarding, however the final outcome, Self-portrait with Giant Jenga has remained one of the most popular pieces in my portfolio to this day. That being said at the completion of my artist residency the giant Jenga set and stool remained at Cow House Studios so most people have only experienced it photographically…until now.
  
​