Let the right one in, 167 cm x 313 cm, 2009, synthetic polymer paint and ink on linen, 

‘Let the right one in’ suggests darkness and forces outside our control.

The title also inspired by the novel written by Swedish novelist John Ajvide Lindqvist seemed to reflect this age of anxiety. I wanted to capture the feeling of nature. Its unpredictability and ability for great destruction as well as incredible beauty. 

My studio process always has an unpredictable and out of control element to it. This is what I’m attracted to in making work and I wanted to find these parallels in the natural world. I never can control the outcome or predict the journey the work will take. It’s an intuitive and organic process that has many surprising twists and turns. My paint brush does sculpt, cover and adorn what I see in the work. 

Entwined in the work are my own personal stories and emotions. A whirlwind coming through the work. I wanted to give the work a feeling of vastness, cosmic grandeur and evoke a sense of spiritual potential.

Turbulent Terrain: Manifestations of the Sublime in Contemporary Art Curated by Bryony Nainby 5 September - 1 November 2009 & touring 2010

Traditionally associated with the imagery of nineteenth century artists such as Caspar David Friedrich, the concept of the sublime originally referred to a sense of awe and fear inspired by the vastness and immense power of nature and the elements.

Today, shock and awe have become commonplace clichés. Modern-day events of war, terrorism, scientific discoveries, space exploration and our growing awareness of the complexity and fragility of natural systems have transformed our traditional understandings of the sublime. The wonder, terror and exhilaration of natural forces that inspired artists such as Friedrich have new manifestations in contemporary artworks which engage with science, technology, military activity, environmental concerns and genetic engineering.

Turbulent Terrain: Manifestations of the Sublime in Contemporary Art explores postmodern notions of the sublime and presents work by artists who evoke forms of human experience beyond the everyday through painting, sculpture, sound and installation-based artworks.