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I was born and grew up in a London neighborhood lit only by gaslight and still damaged by the WWII bombings, even though this was the 1960's. Looking back, growing up without electricity played a significant role in my development as an artist. With no radio or television, I spent my time first drawing and then later painting the simple objects around me . . . an armchair, a coal stove, and the likes. I sat and listened to my mother and grandmother tell me stories of their experiences during the 1940's wartime.
I choose each subject carefully, weaving the past into various dimensions of the present, hoping to provoke the viewer into seeing an enduring relevance in my images. In essence, my paintings are about timeless hope, courage, and friendship.
In some pieces, I celebrate unity and protection, in others courage and style. I take my images from historical and family photographs, isolating a fragment of the whole, then adding new objects to complete the narrative. My aim is to make the viewer wonder what is going on, look beyond the paint and add his or her own emotional or intellectual texture. |
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