The Idea of an Island - 2020

My first Covid Collection was born out of frustration. I had been scheduled to make a show on and in response to  Spike Island. Steeped in history, the island was at various times a monastery, a fortress and most recently a prison. It is one of the most latently atmospheric places I have ever set foot.

The planned exhibition was postponed due to the pandemic, so I settled on imagining a sense of the island both as an inhabitant (at times a prisoner longing to leave, as a monk drawing inspiration for a divine devotion and as guardians custodians) and from the mainland seeing the island as a dream destination.

A theme of longing runs throughout the work. The scale of my work definitely got larger during this time. Being confined to the studio - initially a penance, proved the perfect opportunity to develop my studio practice and the scale of my work.