Mothworks

We don’t often get a good look at moths because they are out at night and its dark and they move fast and some are very small. Moths are really beautiful. I have been lucky enough to live in rural places where I have had some mothy encounters. During 2012-13 I produced a series of works inspired by Moths in their many forms and exploring the mythology and psychological meaning of the moth in many cultures. In many cultures Moths represent the soul leaving the body while we are asleep or the soul of a dead loved one. I was also thinking about the words of songs. Long Meg and Her Daughters is an image developed from a visit to Long Meg standing stone circle near Penrith and the words and music of September Song by Richard Strauss ( “and, in the magic circle of the night, the soul flies free and lives deeply and a thousandfold”). I also have a life long obsession with feathers. Invariably picked up and carried home when out walking. The thrill of finding a bright blue Jay feathers or spotted woodpecker. They make their way into art work all the time. Maybe their fragile form but strength represent hopefulness to me. The words for the art work Dream Grace were from a vivid dream I had in May 2009. I type set and hand printed the pages and hand stitched 10 artist books which I then gave away to key people in my life. I kept one set of pages and made the collage stitching it with red book binding thread and adding gold leaf. Some years later Dream Grace was made as a female figure in clay. Before firing I used the metal type letters to press the words “Dream Grace” into her thigh. She lives in the studio now looking out over the garden.