Layered over time: Evolving, unfinished, re-worked

A way of reflecting on my past experience and artistic practice involves recycling previous paintings and drawings, adding layers that represent my present makings. This has been through laying patterns and shapes over self-portraiture created in my undergraduate, partially concealing the work and in turn, myself. Without actively being aware of this to begin with, I see this process as a way to distract from the physical representation of myself whilst still working with the image I created in the past. I avoid confronting my reflection in my current practice, focusing on language as a form of self-portraiture. This discomfort has always been there, and layering over my self-portraits over time keeps them current whilst staying away from focus on portraiture. The swirls and marks appear as ongoing or obsessive thoughts, a busy mind, creating a visually overwhelming and possibly unclear image. (See Pattern Making)