my work has always had many layers, but recent work i have incorporated
screenprinting with mixed media elements, contrasting alongside the hand
painted elements, creating a rich complex landscape- robert rauschenberg was
the master of this of course , and warhol/basquiats collaborations have
always inspired me .
I enjoy the use of real elements, such as the antique crucifix, or knife,
doller, or razor blade – the photographic quality of the screenprinting, the
ethereal quality of spraypaint, industrial and raw – the hard meets the
soft, life meets death, imaginary meets reality – this contradiction is the
constant source of inspiration for me – i never plan a painting ever, i
start with colour, layering colours until im happy with my base. this then
becomes selected to be printed on or painted on with something i feel like
printing or painting, this may be an image of Adolf Hitler or a tree,a babys
skull or a blackbird,a flower or a fly. . . but whatever it is, it will be
the starting point for the piece, which grows organically until im happy
with the balance. again, these images are things im attracted to, due to
their quality or message – it may be an image of a child who is deaf, or a
haunted house, but i collect images in the same way i collect 3 dimentional
elements – im drawn to them.
the layering is the process, working on each individual element to create a
journey and contradiction of elements in the composition that battle for
attention, but work in harmony together, even though they shouldnt – or
should – so the eye travels across the canvas and makes its own decision
about the story. .
the work is always progressing and developing all the time, due to its
nature it is constantly moving forward as i discover new elements and
techniques and items to incorporate – im attracted to objects like a
collector is, and they are collected until they suit the right canvas.

I think the fact that a canvas is spontaneous and organic is what gives the
work the energy – i may start a canvas thats red, and it may end up black-
its a journey that each piece takes on. . i think this gives the work a real
energy – sometimes i work on many canvasses at once, often starting, leaving
for weeks until it feels right to continue that piece – I discovered the
work of New York artist Joseph cornell back in 1990 and he inspired me with
the way he worked, he collecteditems from all over new york and would put
them in a file, then when he found another item that worked well with the
first item/object, he would put it with that until he had enough in the file
for a piece – so in his studio he had a whole wall of boxes, each was a file
containing items and objects that went well with the other, and then when
full a 3d beautiful box was created for the objects to be displayed and
arranged in – he would let the children in the neighborhood play with these
boxes, which are now worth millions
As well as him, peter blake the pop artist was a huge inspiration to me,
again, another huge collector of objects and items.
I do the same, i buy things im attracted to for the work, even though i dont
know when i will use it- sometimes it will sit in my studio for years until
the right time for it to be used, like a boxing glove or a photo of a
soldier in ww2.
my next show is in september 2008 in Forster gallery london -

THE PAINTING I CURRENTLY HAVE HANGING IN OPUS GALLERY NEWCASTLE IS CALLED ‘AN EXPLOSION OF LIFE N DEATH’
IT IS NINE FEET WIDE AND 3.5 FEET HIGH..
IT IS IN THREE PANELS AND FEATURES 3D ELEMENTS ALONGSIDE HAND PAINTED ELEMENTS. .
I HAVE USED MANY TRADEMARK SYMBOLS IN THIS PIECE, MY WORK IS ALL ABOUT DOUBLE MEANINGS AND CONFLICTING CONTRADICTIONS. . .LIFE MEETS DEATH, INNOCENCE MEETS CYNICISM, POLITICS MEETS RELIGION, WAR MEETS DECAY, HOPE MEETS DESTRUCTION ETC. . .
WE SEE THE CROWN OF THORNS, THE CROWN THAT WAS PLACED ON THE HEAD OF CHRIST ALONGSIDE A PLASTIC HOTDOG, WE SEE A BANANA NEXT TO A HUMAN BONE, WE SEE A TARGET ALONGSIDE AN ANIMAL SKULL, A TOMATO FLOATING OVER A RIBCAGE,WE SEE COBWEBS WITH PLASTIC FOOD,US DOLLERS AND REAL KNIVES. .
ALWAYS MY WORK IS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS . .
A SPIDER WEB IS FOOD FOR A SPIDER BUT DEATH FOR A FLY. .
WE SEE ANTIQUE CRUCIFIXES AND A BULLET. .
THE VIEWER GOES ON A JOURNEY ACROSS THE CANVAS, READING THE SYMBOLS AND THEIR MEANINGS AND AN ARGUMENT IS OPENED UP, WHY IS THIS HERE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN NEXT TO THIS ETC.
I LIKE TO ALLOW THE VIEWER TO LET THEIR OWN ENTERPRETATIONS COME INTO THE PIECE, I WONT SAY WHY I PLACE AN ELEMENT NEXT TO ANOTHER, BUT I WORK ON INSTINCT.
EVERY PIECE OF COLOUR IS ON PURPOSE, THERE IS NO ACCIDENT.ITS ALL ABOUT BALANCE.
I START A PIECE WITH COLOUR, USING INDUSTRIAL HOUSEHOLD PAINTS AND SPRAYPAINTS TO BUILD UP A BASE, USING EMOTION AND FEELING, UNTIL IT FEELS RIGHT.
I THEN START WITH AN ELEMENT, WHICH MAY BE A IRAQI DINA (CURRENCY 0 OR A CRUCIFIX, A SKULL OR A KITCHEN KNIFE, THEN THE JOURNEY BEGINS AND THE PAINTING STARTS.
I HAVE PERSONAL LINKS WITH THE ELEMENTS, LIKE ST GUADALOUPS IS A VERY MEXICAN ICON, AND I WAS IN MEXICO EARLIER IN THE YEAR, BUT IT ALSO WILL REFER TO RELIGION AND CATHOLISM, I WAS ALSO BORN A CATHOLIC. . .BUT IM NOT RELIGIOUS AT ALL.
THE POPPY IS ANOTHER TRADEMARK ELEMENT I USE, ITS LIFE, BUT ALSO SYMBOLIC OF DEATH, THE POPPIES THAT GROW IN A FIELD AFTER A BATTLE ETC, THE BRITISH HAVE A DAY EVERY YEAR CALLED POPPY DAY, TO COMMEMORATE THE SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT IN WW1. .
A TOMATO IS INNOCENT, LIFE, FOOD, NATURE ETC, BUT IT WILL DECAY ALSO, LIKE THE RIBCAGE, DEATH IS OMNIPRESENT.
THERE IS A PHOTO OF A WOMAN, A GIRL, WHO WAS SHE? IS SHE ALIVE? IS SHE DEAD?
ITS SINISTER.
I LIKE USING CANDY HAPPY POP COLOURS TO ATTRACT THE VIEWER BUT I LIKE TO LEAVE THEM ALSO FEELING ON EDGE, ITS A FINE BALANCE BETWEEN THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE SINISTER.