Thresholds *(prints available) Print

"Thresholds" emerged from a collaborative art project looking at the physical and symbolic changes that doorways and "Thresholds" mark. In part the research included the meanings of doorways, thresholds and passages in a metaphorical and philosophical context. For instance, rites of passage, divisions between sacred and secular spaces, times and activities, customs and the concept of a threshold through which beliefs and ideas from all three Monotheistic faiths can pass. For the second part of the research the physicality of doorways, how beliefs manifest themselves in architecture, decoration and art was also considered. The project progressed towards a final painting – circa 1.2m by 80cm, as part of a Triptych with 2 other pieces by collaborating artists, suggesting the themes we’ve discussed and given consideration. Our research was based in East London, and included site-visits to six current and historical places of faith. Some were guided tours and others were brief visits. **Influences for my final piece have included experimentation with the abstraction of calligraphic form, building on the textural properties of the doorways we observed – drawing on the reductionism of the process of mark making to form a language. This is likened to the essence of faith, which once reduced of imagery and outer manifestations becomes a personal process of incremental mark makings, passing through several thresholds of thought and individual introspection. In examining “the rites of passage, divisions between sacred and secular spaces”, I’ve chosen to explore the possibilities of the paint – the “rites of passage” of how the paint behaves. I see this as a microcosm of the choices humans have, the directions we take... I’m interested in how to represent this through layering techniques and subtleties of application. Exploring the idea of “a threshold as a place of risk and uncertainty”, I enjoy creating an element of uncertainty in the painting process. I appreciate that my role is to begin the process, to almost indicate a direction, and that ultimately uncertainty reigns as to how the paint will behave during the process of applying and drying. I see the movement of the paint as somewhat akin to the passing through doorways – for me it is as much about the process as the final piece, the two cannot be separated. The process of dialogue, illustration, visits and thought all combine. As well as our own discussion, internalisations, and site visits, I’ve been influenced by Australian Art in the British Museum, as well as American Abstract Expressionism, Hans Hofman, Pierre Soulages, the freedom of Kandinsky and Miro, Dubuffet’s Facades D’Immeubelles. Barnett Newman’s Stations of the Cross, “characterised by areas of colour separated by thin vertical lines... simultaneously dividing and uniting the composition” also have helped frame my perception towards "Thresholds".**

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:8 W x 10 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:13.25 W x 15.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.