detritus jewels collection
2013-present
these artworks were made using recycled and found materials between 2012-19. i like reflective surfaces and the pieces are often no more than decorations - assemblages, for example - tho the provenance of the materials is always meant to remind the viewer of the story of greed, deprivation, sustainability and artistic protest. sometimes there is an attempt at representation in an abstracted way.
the work is a practical statement against the artificial and corrupt value of jewels made for people of great wealth - faberge eggs for the romanovs, blood diamonds for dictators etc - in that i try to use detrital objects to make visually comparable jewel-like pictures which do not have a provenance of oppression, privilege or rigged markets to create their value.
the pictures, or parts of a picture, are jewels, reflecting light, made with rudimentary craft, that are, for all that, everyday, made from thrownaway items.
there is a fascination for me in some of the small things that lie in the street - a broken earring, the cut end of a wire with shining copper and bright blue plastic. these items have visual power but lie unregarded between pavement flags. they have stories. some unknown, some that can be guessed at. and together, in a context away from the street, they can become art, jewels even.
i try to make the works compositionally interesting in a reduced, simplistic, abstract way and play a lot with balancing shapes and colours to achieve harmony.
freshwater fish
2019
recycled and found materials
timber offcuts, found objects, card
other materials
oil paint, household paint, gold effect paint, paper
size
cm
bridlington seagull 2
2019
recycled and found materials
timber offcuts, curtain material, coins, packaging
other materials
oil paint, household paint, gold effect paint, costume jewels
size
cm
2019
recycled and found materials
timber offcuts, curtain material, coins, packaging
other materials
oil paint, household paint, gold effect paint, costume jewels
size
cm
butterfly with gothic frame
2014
recycled and found materials
early victorian wall stud timber offcuts, broken tiles, found artificial butterfly
other materials
oil paint, household paint
size
cm
2014
recycled and found materials
early victorian wall stud timber offcuts, broken tiles, found artificial butterfly
other materials
oil paint, household paint
size
cm
objets trouve with badge
2016
recycled and found materials
bed board, packaging
other materials
household paint
size
cm
white clouds with gold sky
2015
recycled and found materials
bed board, packaging
other materials
household paint
size
cm
white clouds with gold sky
2015
recycled and found materials
bed board, packaging
other materials
household paint
size
cm
objets trouve with bottle tops
2013
recycled and found materials
bottle tops, found objects, recycled frame,
board
other materials
household paint, tempera, modelling clay
size
cm
red tree
2013
recycled and found materials
2nd hand frame, paper
other materials
household paint, tempera, modelling clay
size
42x32cm
crows
2017
recycled and found materials
frame, found objects
other materials
oil paint, household paint, glitter, ink, varnish
size
cm
2017
recycled and found materials
frame, found objects
other materials
oil paint, household paint, glitter, ink, varnish
size
cm
yellow found 2
2019
recycled and found materials
found objects, salvaged wood, donated canvas
other materials
oil paint
size
cm
yellow found 1
2019
recycled and found materials
found objects, salvaged wood, donated canvas
other materials
oil paint
size
cm
2019
recycled and found materials
found objects, salvaged wood, donated canvas
other materials
oil paint
size
cm
dandelion clock
2019
recycled and found materials
dried plant, glass, fabric, salvaged wood, tissue paper
other materials
household paint, board
size
cm
lizards
2019
recycled and found materials
found objects, salvaged wood
other materials
oil paint, toy lizards
size
cm
lizards
2019
recycled and found materials
found objects, salvaged wood
other materials
oil paint, toy lizards
size
cm
found
2012-16
recycled and found materials
found objects from the streets of liverpool, 1842 wall stud timber
other materials
oil paint, varnish, household paint
size
cm
seagull 1
2019
recycled and found materials
wood offcuts, beads, foil, curtain fabric
other materials
oil paint, board
size
cm
found faux flowers
2016
recycled and found materials
found objects, charity shop frame, card, beads
other materials
oil paint, varnish, plastic jewels
size
cm
seaside gothic
2015
recycled and found materials
wood, papier mache, hardboard, shells, pebbles, stones
other materials
household paint, varnish, wire
size
cm
blue on blue
2014
recycled and found materials
timber from 1904 Rushworths & Dreaper church pipe organ (includes some mahogany), 2nd hand inner frame, various materials
other materials
varnish, household paint, tempera
size
47x38cm
patchwork butterfly
2013
recycled and found materials
decorative butterfly, cloth, coins, foil, wood off-cuts
other materials
household paint, frame, modelling clay, glitter, glue
size
48x40cm
thirty pieces of silver
2013
recycled and found materials
slate, broken tiles, foil
other materials
modelling clay
size
68x60cm
vein of gold
? 2012
recycled and found materials
foil, beads, broken tiles, wood off-cuts
other materials
household paint
size
42x46cm
leaf litter
? 2012-18
recycled and found materials
card, wood off-cuts, costume jewellery, packaging, hazlenut shells
other materials
household paint, oil paint, shop bought frame, varnish
size
36x45cm
leaf litter
? 2012-18
recycled and found materials
card, wood off-cuts, costume jewellery, packaging, hazlenut shells
other materials
household paint, oil paint, shop bought frame, varnish
size
36x45cm
gold seam with leaves
2015-19
recycled and found materials
slate, packaging, washers, hessian, leaves, wood offcuts (mahogany from C19th church organ)
other materials
glue, varnish
size
cm
dried flowers 1
2019
recycled and found materials
flower, frame
other materials
board, household paint
size
cm
dried flowers 3
2019
recycled and found materials
timber offcuts, flowers
other materials
board, household paint
size
cm