Artist’s Statement

I originally wanted to be a painter but I was terrible at drawing and luckily, whilst I was at art school, I was taught the basics of black and white photography.

So photography did the drawing for me and I have never looked back. I have always been more interested in creating the world within the camera frame, rather than photographing what I saw around me. I like the hazy line between reality and imaginary worlds. 

For the works shot ‘in camera’  I arrange objects in my studio and paint or make backgrounds and then play with shadows and lighting to create depth and atmosphere. 

I also make pictures by photographing backgrounds, objects and artefacts which I then assemble in Photoshop. 

I am mostly drawn towards old stuff with a bit of patina and an air of decay - I love the textures and variations in the colours. Also, objects from the natural world are a great inspiration. 

My influences are extensive and eclectic. They range from historical and ethnographical museum exhibits to the flotsam and jetsam that I pick up on my walks by the seashore near my home. I am drawn towards old, decaying and found objects, which hold history and stories. In terms of art movements, I am drawn to a wide range, from the Renaissance to Dadaism and Surrealism. I like to make pictures which hopefully the viewer can make up their own stories about, and that they can revisit and see something new each time.

One of my latest series is about Cabinets of Curiosity and Rooms of  Wonder. 

I have photographed many natural history and ethnographical museum exhibits and the idea of compositing them back in the studio seems appropriate, as these Cabinets often contained fakes and Jennys (Jenny Hanivers, the fabulous creations constructed by combining parts of different creatures). I have also used this process for my other new series, Chimerical Creatures and The Company of Musicians.

My work implies and suggests layers of feelings and memories and notions. But I leave it to the viewer to make up their own mind.

Like many photographers, I carry my camera with me at all times, just in case.