The Illusion of Self

I write this in a time of confusion, a changing world surrounds me that I

cannot grasp. I look to nature as a constant reality; it comforts me with

its presence, a grounding energy that supports life. From my earliest

memory, it has been a force that continues to guide me through the

seasons, giving the visual indication of time and change, growth and

renewal. The ever present nourishment of the senses mirrors the cycles

within: the microcosm of self and the macrocosm of the universe. During

this great reset, I am more intrigued with nature than ever before. I need

the reassurance that life is still familiar. The experience of the forest

gives me a presence of mind and body. To touch the earth is cathartic,

to feel the invisible vibration that connects me to the consciousness of

being alive. A subliminal communication of the body to the environment

that supports it.

The selfie series is a photographic documentation of my experience in a

changing social milieu. Disconnected from the familiar construct I had

become so reliant on, I missed the sensory experience of touch,

conversation, subconscious energy exchange and the stimulus of

gathering with others. The embrace of nature was my salvation. Whilst in

this state of mind, my desire to make objects was less and I

contemplated the virtual more. The object seemed to lose its power for

the moment. I was aware of the intensified online presence during the

pandemic and created my selfie series to express my isolation through

images, using my body as a sculptural device. It becomes performative,

sometimes a spontaneous act of creation where the found object

dictates the image. My equipment is basic: a stick and a smartphone,

attached with a rubber band. I pose myself in the woods, blending into

the voids of an uprooted tree or the camouflage of the foliage. I blur my

identity to become one with my surroundings, a sombre message that

expresses my feeling of uncertainty, not knowing how this experience

will alter my former reality.

I needed to maintain my creativity and nurture my lightness of being. A

minimal approach to making art and the response of my body to the

natural environment. A deliberate move out of the studio as the walls

closed in, I needed to move my limbs and circulate the life force. My

mind could be reduced to fear and sadness, wanting the normal I used

to know. I remain hopeful that creative consciousness will assist with this

cultural transition. I still contemplate the object; when we can experience

the physical world again, the object will regain its power and

the perception of self will be restored.