PRINTER? PAINTER? MAKER?
As an artist I am constantly trying to find a ‘recipe’ that best allows me to express myself succinctly. This can either be through the subject I choose or the materials I use. I am also trying to decode what it is I am hoping to say. As an artist should your message be depicted in such a way that is visually obvious for the viewer to interpret; or can you just enjoy the process of making on an intuitive level and present whatever has emerged? Do you need to create a rigid identity, one that allows people to immediately recognise that the work is yours? Is it important to develop a coherent body of work or does it matter whether your work is constantly changing and in doing so surely evolving? I am sure many artists find themselves in this quandary- Who am I and where am I going?!
I am originally from South Africa. I have a rich library of memories and experiences from my growing up there. These are deeply rooted in me. This and the strong intimacy I feel for the country are both the inspiration from which I draw from. It is apparent in the objects and forms I choose to represent. I am captivated by nature, the organic shapes and textures, the pure beauty found in its varying forms. I enjoy finding objects – little things that others would find inconspicuous. I present them alone, printed on a grand scale, glorifying their hiddenness. Items such as a shell, a wasp nest, a patterned fragment of pottery or a bone are unveiled. In doing so I hope to show the viewer what it is they fail to notice. I am drawn visually and symbolically to this stimulus and feel it embodies all that I find beautiful and precious.
I like to experiment with printing onto different materials. Besides paper, I have also printed onto Perspex, fabric, plastics, and wood. I am intrigued at how each surface reveals a different dimension to the printed image. I like to contrast flat with busy, matt with shiny and by using these varying materials it allows for diverse results. My process involves layering. I like to combine one or more print method, such as Screenprint overlaid with Monoprint or vice versa. In addition I also paint, collage, varnish, cut, sew and fix or attach shapes to or over one another. This results in rich and highly textured surfaces.
Through experimentation, trial and error my journey is long and ever changing. I am driven by the hope of eventually being satisfied!
See more of Bronwen’s work on her artists page here
