My work is shaped by my interest in Western art history - of classical and religious paintings from circa 1400-1780. I am fascinated by the standardised codes in colour, image and compositional formats of the time that reinforced the symbolism and determined meaning in these paintings.

Art historians suggest we need to understand the intricacies of these codes to fully appreciate this category of visual representation. A painting of a woman with a lily becomes the Annunciation when you understand that Marian Blue was reserved for the Virgin Mary and the lily signified purity.

But what if we don’t? What happens when we apply our contemporary perspective, where the C21st zeitgeist subliminally influences our interpretation of visual language? Why have some symbols endured whilst others’ “full meanings” are recognisable only to those with historical knowledge? Given the pervasiveness of these prescribed systems in the practice of classical art, is there room for these to apply in other contemporary contexts?

My practice investigates the “what happens if we don’t”. Referencing classical and religious painting systems I manipulate these through exposure, adherence, and adaptation to question how the relationship between the meaning and image are affected when there is a shift in context, colour and media.