ARTIST STATEMENT

And exploration of introversion and extroversion. Personal identity is often experienced in terms of the way we understand ourselves in relation to the outside world and its inhabitants. Extraversion and introversion are typically used to describe the manner, and degree to which, we do so.

 

But these states are not absolutes, we navigate between the two extremes, and as such - as Jung theorised - the two states can be viewed as a single continuum with ambiversion occurring in the middle. In this series, I seek to explore the concept of hiding and exposure via the masks and coping mechanisms individuals employ; here represented by pattern.  I’ve used poses that express body language which shows various physical responses to perceived environments. These range from open, closed, defensive, comfortable, self-conscious, confident, etc. The disjointed, clashing patterns represent the way we either wear these behaviours like a scaly protective coverings, something like snake skins, or shed them to expose ourselves, in the continual and necessary balancing act required to exist amongst one another in this precarious world.

 

 

Ink and PVA on cape liner

Various sizes

2013