update 06 2025
PaDA ( Paint-ing as A Democratic Act) has developed into a central force in all my work.
It has simplified into the essential role of the artist to make work in a collaborative way, and an acknowledgement that as an artist I do not presume to have the answers. My role then is to create safe spaces for the public to see the work, sometimes adapt the work and occasionally to physically respond to the work.
By working from an equitable place, my work becomes visibly more rich as marks are made onto my own by someone else..different shapes, thickness of paint, colour that then conducts a striking visual dialogue.
By working from a place of equality, I can offer visual responses to place and negotiate a dance of ‘letting go’. The performance of process starts at the idea inception / first visit…through to creating responses on-site…to the public wrestling with the work as it can now be seen so changes have to be made to make the work ‘successful’....adapting and then the Understanding as the artist / I can finally let it go and allow the place to have full ownership.
And, by working from a place of equality, I can consider everyone’s ideas as important and I can continue to learn from others as every element has an impact on the work.
PaDA is intended to link to DaDA in the time of using paint as an artistic expression when there is war and killing in the world.
