Fiona Halse

Statement

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. Aristotle – Poetics

My work seeks to convey a human  presence and visceral essence. I am not interested in replicating objects; instead I seek to assemble visceral abstract forms that have been shaped in the unconscious and transferred into a material presence.   Whilst I refer to the human figure metaphorically in my work, I am referring to memories that are connected to self and are projections of being and my work could be considered a personal ontology. 

My work utilises a Tachist touch based process and this European ‘Tache’ ( stain) process embraces an  open structure and utilises  tactility, touch to tease out form. Tachism  is reliant on the body’s visceral response  to texture and matter and the relationship of touch and the hand. Tachism utilises Haptic , affective, sensory driven processes . The informality of Tachism  enables  what Heidegger refers to as ‘Poiesis’ where there is a ‘bringing forth of  forms’ and these forms have their own unconscious personal significance and energy . This volcanic -like energy (embodied  in matter and generated through a sensory process) requires orchestrated  tension and  structure to communicate and retain this energy.  I consider this  an architectonic  process of building  ‘affective semiotic  composition’  (Petherbridge, D, 2010, p.5) and it is related to drawing.

 Abstract forms embraces contradictions and multiplicity and  is able to convey  ‘being’  directly whilst enabling poetic interpretations.

Reference: Petherbridge, D,  2010,  The Primacy of Drawing . London & New Haven: Yale University Press,  UK

Image credit: Angus Bartels