I recently completed a three months residency at in Paris. My residency at Cite Internationale des Arts was a great opportunity to meet artists from all over the world, as most countries have at least one live in studio on offer and some like Germany and Australia numerous.
I had an exhibition of some of the work that I had created the previous year during a Royal Rome Scholarship residency at Accademia di Danimarca (the Danish School at Rome) and held several artists discussion at my studio, which were very though provoking and gave me insights into how artists from other religions viewed Christian art. I have put a few images from the exhibition.I was so inspired by Paris that I hope to go back for another stay this autumn to do a video performance project.
I found the art scene in Paris more relaxed and friendly than in London and gallery owners are interested in talking to artists and to seeing their work.There are many areas with galleries in central Paris the most well know is probably around Rue de Seine and Rue du Vielle de Temple, certainly more interesting that those big galleries near Champs Ellyseé and Place des Voges.
There was such a lot going on in Paris. First the FIAC the counter part to The FREEZE ART FAIR and at the same time LES ELYSEÉS DE L’ART and ShowOff situated at Espace Pierre Cardin, which I guess is the counterpart to the ZOO ART FAIR, which was quickly followed by Paris Photo, DIVA (International video exhibition) and MAC, which is a curated exhibition of independent international artists and then there was the famous SALON which is best known from when they rejected the Impressionists that gave me the peace and tranquillity.
My studio had a view over the Seine and Ile st. Louis with its starkly beautiful monochrome townhouses and Notre dame to the side.Paris is truly infectious and not only did I have a very romantic experience I was also inspired to paint, which is not a medium I usually feel inspired to use. The subjects were not inspired by Paris, but maybe it was the relaxed atmosphere and watching the changing scene from my windows of the Seine changing colours and the patters of the tides and the bridges pretty illuminations at night and the booksellers on the footpath next to the river opening up their green wooden boxes and exhibiting their wares.
My present practice is mainly informed by spirituality encompassing iconography and influenced by philosophy and theory, which responds to specific areas, traditions and cultures, questioning of moral and social values and sometimes a sense of the irony in the ridiculous.I mainly work in artist video, performance, sculpture and installation. Recently a bridge has formed between all my disciplines which explore the notion of mediated presence and allow me to investigate the gaze and different ways of involving an audience.
