I graduated with Merit from the MA in Fine Art at the University of Portsmouth in 2013. I brought an abstract expressionist painting background to the MA course, itself brought about by frustrating personal circumstances that led to a vigorous spate of action painting.

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My early MA research focused on photography and light, trying to emulate Jackson Pollock's style of action painting using light. The focus of my project contextualization was concrete instantiations, of a hitherto undocumented binary code that I created, to communicate messages using a mathematical notation.

 

Many of my project instantiation ideas were inspired by the constructivist art movement, especially that of the Systems Group, prevalent in the UK in the late 60s and 70s. One of the most significant artists of the last century was Marcel Duchamp. Duchamp was an avid chess player and in 1943 posed “a problem with no solution” involving the game of chess. I investigated this problem further and produced a piece of work posing a chess question myself, “White wins in one”, in tribute to this moment from Duchamp's life. The work “White wins in one” was shown at the GASP MA Fine Art student show in 2013 and caused a good deal of discussion at the private view.

 

During my time on the MA I did some experimentation with acrylic paint on canvas. Experiments were aligned with the drip painting work of artists such as Callum Innes and Ian Davenport. During the MA I had an exhibition at White Elephant. The gallery owners were very enthusiastic and accommodating. I showed some of my binary ceramic work, including slabs, slip cast heads, and an asteroid with accompanying smoke machine.

 

I have a hand made chess set permanently at the venue for people to enjoy a game or two. There is a Facebook group to organise games... I also exhibited a Millennium Falcon model at a recent exhibition. Dr Trudy Barber drew my portrait at White Elephant during a warm up session for her participation in the Sky Portrait Artist of the Year event. I have also attended several Mash Up sessions and film screenings. I have photographically documented some White Elephant events with the photographs being accessible via Facebook.. The White Elephant venue is a boon to local artists and the wider community offering a congenial atmosphere and eclectic mix of events, exhibitions, music, and vintage nuggets for sale...