| WHY DO YOU CREATE ART AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? Communication; Interaction; Education: These are the goals of my creative practice. Through my art I seek to educate, to highlight sexual and social injustice, religious and governmental oppression and to reinforce the need to rebel against ineducation. I see myself less as an "artist" and more of a communicator. I do not make art for the art world or for arts sake. I make art for people who are like myself, those who want to learn, and those who are prepared to challenge the status quo. It is, for example, sometimes easier to rely on stereotypes than to judge a situation based on evidence rather than assumption. Art can provide the opportunity to reassess the world we live in through highlighting, satirizing, and debunking all manner of issues. By presenting my art works to the public I am able to reach out far beyond my own social circle and contribute more fully towards wider debate. Through use of the internet I am able to communicate even further, a prospect I am excited and inspired by. The bonds and barriers between art and science intrigue me. I use sculpture primarily to make tangible otherwise ephemeral concepts and to bring to light subtleties that generally go unnoticed by the conscious, but that still manage to pervade the subconscious. Through form ideas become visible and open to discussion, providing a palpable reference point. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? HOW ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS EXPRESSED IN YOUR WORK? I am daily inspired by conversing with many people, family, friends, the artists I share a studio with, colleagues, busstop standers, bag packers in the supermarket, anyone and everyone. It is surprising how often in daily life one comes across all kinds of discrimination, whether by being the victim of sexism (e.g. being told to wear high heels at the office rather than comfortable shoes for the purpose of "giving the boss a reason to pay a woman"), or hearing the continual use of the word "gay" used in a derogatory manner to describe just about any circumstance (e.g. "this food is so gay!"). These encounters are enough to provide the inspiration for communicative action. As long as there remains a member of society who thinks that "this is just the way the world is", I have work to do. I manifest as clearly as I can the purpose of my work and do not try to conceal the intention of the objects I produce. Another strand of my creative practice is informed by a life long interest in science, particularly biology. I am fascinated by the process of evolution, species, genes - our connectedness with all organisms. I have never found that my dual interests in science and art have conflicted within my own practice, but it has raised questions about their relationship that I am moving towards addressing in future work. WHAT IS YOUR VISION, OR PHILOSOPHY? To be an artist is to be a communicator, the two can never be separated. I use my creative abilities to affect change and add to an arena of debate. In work which is more personal to my own direct experience I still hope to connect with the individual; shared experience can unite the individual with the rest of society. I believe that artists should take advantage of their potential to change the world for the better, in whichever way they can, however minor or major the effect. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE? I intend to develop further within my work the themes which I have most recently been working with, or are a twinkling in my eye... -commercial nostalgia and representation of women -science & art - divided or inseperable? -sustainability - our changing world, our response as people, as artists WHICH ARTISTS ARE YOU INFLUENCED BY? The names which most readily come to mind: Joan Fontcuberta - photographer. His approach to both art and science questions the implicitness of faith. I share his belief that art and science do not need to be polarized and that much can be learnt from both. Some of my previous work has attempted to address this concern. Grayson Perry - ceramicist. Both his topical subject matter and attention to detail inspire me, as well as the way he has publicly defied gender stereotyping. Hans Bellmer - sculptor, photographer. Hypnotic in its dazzling technique, Bellmer�s intricate depictions of often violent sexual fantasies calls into question the relation between individual pleasure and received ideas, indulgence and responsibility. Authors include Richard Dawkins, Robert Shapiro, John Pilger, Liz McQuiston, John Berger, Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, Phillip Kitcher. |
| ELEANOR ROSCOE: STATEMENT 20/05/08 |