artist's statement

I try to 'find the silence that contains thoughts' (haiken)

My paintings are influenced by the emotive aspects and archaeology of places. They are collections of abstracted visualisations, memories and thoughts, made in direct response to my personal experiences and research.

The layering of materials and marks is fundamental to my paintings; erasure and alterations allude to time, creating a history pertinent to each piece.

I see the process of making paintings as analogous to the archaeological process; pools of colour are allowed to flood and settle over the canvas, impasto paint and washes are brushed  on and then scraped away to unearth new textures…it is a process which allows me to discover that which otherwise might be concealed.

The use of stitch in my work relates to a myriad of ideas; fragmentation, unification, ruin, repair, and of tenuously holding things together.

My overall aim is to create contemplative spaces with silent objects.

 

Sue Bradshaw 2008

 

all images © sue bradshaw 2008