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:: ART SABBATICAL 2023-24 ::
Taking a creative break from art for a while, and leaning into poetry
I have been on something of an Art Sabbatical since October 2023, hence the lack of updates to this website. Most of this time away from paint and canvas has been spent exploring poetry more deeply, devoting time to honing my craft, as well as riding the wave of creativity that has been unfolding with words since my decision in 2021 to bring poetry back into the centre of my world.
I am finding poetry to be cathartic, emotionally honest and simultaneously more deeply inward as well as exploratively outward that artistic expression has been in recent years. It is leading me increasingly into the wilds, away from the urban noise of art chatter and social media. I am loving where this path is leading me: to who-knows-where…!
All that said, it turns out that even during a sabbatical I have been fairly prolific in making art, mostly as smaller-scale vehicles for poetry projects. Normal service will probably resume towards the end of 2024 or early 2025, with updates on a host of new artworks as well as several new self-published poetry works.
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DEO MITHRAE: A Micro-Chapbook I am delighted to announce the publication in November 2024 of DEO MITHRAE, a limited edition micro-chapbook brought to you by The Braag, a small-scale publishing initiative specialising in otherworldly work and poetry from the north of the UK. This is my first conventional poetry publication after several years of self-publishing, and springs from verses written live-on-site at the Temple of Mithras at Carrawburgh on Hadrian's Wall in May 2024. The chapbook will be followed by an e-publication for more general distribution. Many thanks to Kim Deyn for their support of my burgeoning poetry practice! |
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Multi-Panel Friezes: A Rising Dynamic In April 2023, I released a statement on social media about the future direction of my artistic practice. This relates to multi-panel friezes, which have long been present in my work, but which are now being foregrounded as part of a longer running initiative to integrate my visual art, poetry and ambient music through the medium of video. My 2020 UV frieze, Sparkling Isolation, has been transformed into a film, while several other projects have been 're-realised' as friezes or triptychs: these include Nonaptych Of My All Too Human Visions and The Ecstasy In Me. |
Some exciting new work has been recently updated on the website: these include my friezes Nonaptych Of My All-Too-Human Visions, Are We Orbiting Simulated Lives, Or Memories Of Everything, Everything All At Once...? and the film of my 2020 multi-panel UV work Sparkling Isolation. A sexually graphic triptych from 2017-20, The Ecstasy In Me, is also now visible, as is a brand new 2023 artwork: Ochk'an ~ Enter The Sky. |
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The 'Xibalba Books' Poetry Series In spring 2021, I realised I've been a poet for longer than I've been an artist. Now I've decided to bring this into the foreground of my creative life, delving into my poetry archive to produce seven collections of poetry and one novella. I'm delighted to bring these beautifully presented A5 books to you through my personal publishing imprint, Xibalba Books. Subjects range from queer creative mythology to a Mexican travelogue, and Hangman Starman, a dark and strange novella. Excitingly, this process has liberated several ambitious new works, including: Nine Nights Awake. Coming soon in June 2023. |
