"Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow"
The title of this series of paintings comes from Aesop’s fable of ‘The Dog and the Shadow’, an allegory that warns the reader of becoming disillusioned and losing sight of reality. The element of water holds the power of deception, although it is a transparent substance, it has the ability to reflect images of ourselves and beyond, both real and fantasy.
This series predominantly uses natural red-ochre pigments, they are transparent in nature, allowing the paint to behave in mysterious ways upon the paper. Light plays a main role throughout the series, influencing the forms and shadows that we perceive. The family of ochres and iron oxides are steeped in cultural and anthropological symbolism, portraying themes of blood, fecundity and life, red ochre has been used a body decoration within rituals, before and after death. It is believed to have supernatural powers, function as sun protection, and hold anti-bacterial qualities. There is a theory that suggests the deeper, redder shades of ochre were favourited amongst tribes.