Exhibited: On the Hoof 2002, Waygood Gallery
2002 Globe Hub
As A child I would create war dioramas, usually second world war. They would be constructed from plastic models and found items as well as natural foliage, and would often be set on fire, in a controlled manner to simulate war conditions! At no point in my childhood did I ever appreciate the reality of the events enacted, despite books, historical and photojournalist, and films; The concept of physical pain, to myself or others, as a result of war; the concept of loss, of family or friend; of starvation and deprivation;
These paintings are simply the recreating of more recent scenes of conflict, idealised, in a manner reminiscent of my childhood, and using the process of painting as a time to dwell on the events.
This text did not exist when I first exhibited these pieces;