Artist Statement

There is a small part within everyone’s minds that contains life events we want to keep hidden, away from ourselves and others.

My work explores these private aspects of the mind, in this case my own. Using Video installation as a platform, I  have explored the ideas and themes of mental health, using my own personal experiences. By using myself as the model I have reinforced the theme of the work coming from an autobiographical background.

Usually people who are or have suffered from mental ill health don’t generally share what they were going through, however I personally find this to be rather therapeutic. Thus producing my work is helping me overcome the issues and the stigmas of mental health.

Mental ill health has been part of my life since the age of thirteen suffering from six in total : depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, anorexia, self harm and bulimia. I take aspects from these mental health issues and incorporate them into my practice, drawing on the emotions and specific events within my life. However I try to stay away from the obvious stereotypical connotations with mental ill health bringing a new outlook to them.

Audience participation is a key aspect to my work. I try to manipulate the viewer to look at the piece in certain ways, such as bringing their eye level to that of a child, or to peer within an object to make them become a voyeur.

I have taken influences from Pipilotti Rists work “Yoghurt on skin Velvet on Tv” By Pipilotti Rist to recreate this audience participation by placing moving images within objects either a dolls house or wardrobe. I also let the view interact with the work by forcing them to open doors to see whats within.