Colour Notes was an unexpected challenge to my practice. I have taken for granted that colour is important to me. I had never looked into how or why. My colour diary was an interesting part of the process. Although it was no surprise to me that I like colour, it was the fact that its the juxtaposition of colours that is important.
The work was in response to a Studio 21 exhibition theme to explore how each Studio 21 artist expresses and interprets their own response to colour through narratives and memories. It was launched at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace October 2018 and toured to various venues in the UK.
Deliberately open-ended, this theme inspired searching and thought provoking responses. Each artist individually explored and challenged their personal use of colour. Theory books were relegated to the background, ensuring that each piece was worked reflexively and intuitively.
I created two pieces in response to my investigation into my relationship with colour. The first combined rainbow and earth colours to create a mother dragon protecting her eggs. The second explored reflective colour and gave me the opportunity to incorporate simple interactivity.
MUJUGAE AND JIGU
Colour makes me happy: different combinations – different lights – different shades. Unexpected moments of colour change my mood dramatically and inherently. A spectrum of colours draws me in and lifts my mood. Conversely, rich earth tones, especially those created using rust and tannin seduce me and help me feel grounded. These emotional responses are disappointingly clichéd, but undeniable.
NEO
Reflected coloured light has an ethereal, magical effect. Stained glass in churches suggest other-worldliness: the purity and esoteric nature of the reflected colours seems visceral. There is a related allure and fascination when the reflecting colour comes from within a creature like an octopus changing to reflect or repel its environment. Neo plays with these effects, allowing you to interactively select the displayed colour or watch a rainbow cycle.
