Against all the uncertainty and turmoil of life, it’s the persistence of everyday marvel I look to. A technique I devised, using a simple phone camera and warped-glass object, enables me to consider uncertainty with intent.
Just before the COVID pandemic, I began to experiment with harnessing distorted light (what physicists call caustic optics). From the most banal backdrop, I found I could abstract rich, painterly and always unexpected compositions and colour.
Using crazed light as both material and subject pushes me to see beyond what’s in front of me. It also enables me to create works that have the dynamism and complexity of abstract paintings. The results of this unique approach reveal a wealth of “there there”—marvel in every moment. I call this project Caustic Optimism.
- Room for Not Knowing, solo exhibition, April 2022. Opening night artist talk .
- Note: All works also available as high quality Poste-Escargot Art Cards (7 x 5 in.). Please contact me if interested.
