Iron Clouds

This series of drawings explore the beauty, ambiguity, mystery and resilience of internal mechanics in the human body through abstracted, semi-figurative and decorative compositions. They are like imprints of internal spaces, mapping the connectivity between one internal space to another. I am not intentionally trying to depict specific human organs but the finished drawings often resemble organs such as the heart, lungs and female reproductive system – usually by chance and as a result of the application of ink, watercolour and graphite pencils used. Some of the mark making is also suggestive of the neurological threads of communication within our bodies but they are also about beauty, pattern and repetition of mark making. Some of these drawings have a similar aesthetic to the infamous Rorschach test – a psychological test in which subject’s perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analysed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. 

These reflect my interests in pattern and symmetry but also asymmetry; I like the idea of something looking as if it may be symmetrical but there is a slight discrepancy in its make-up that shifts the balance of order. The drawings are made in phases; often the layers of mark making is an immediate process and flows smoothly but at times, I spend days looking at the inkblots myself, pondering over what additional graphite notations they may need. In some respects, I am almost exploring the Rorschach process myself. However, these drawings are whatever the viewer wants them to be. I am merely suggesting they derive from thoughts around organic matter and internal spaces. 

I have intentionally left this series of drawings open ended, so I may add further drawings to the collection in due course. I am also interested in creating sub-drawings or prints, where selected drawings from the collection are mirrored to create more abstract pictorial patterns and larger scale compositions. Iron Clouds series also includes a sub-collection of 24 stitched drawings made on embroidery hoops, which include found objects such as mini ‘spears’ that re-enforce the notion of inner resilience and in particular, feminine strength.