Little Trek Original by Simone Swaine
jetsam rags, acrylic, emulsion and chalk paint, ink, thread, felt and tailors waste.
Inspired by a coastal trek this piece has been made with washed up rags found along the shore, painted and marked, deconstructed and reconstructed, embellished with threads and fibres. It tells the story of past use entwined with process, place, value and time.
Environment, exploration and materiality are key components to my practice, a means for me to understand and communicate the world around me. Inspiration comes from my daily walks where I observe the landscape and ecological processes. I am not searching for the literal truth instead I seek
an expressive and emotional reaction to process, place, time and geophysical activity.
Using experimental play as a strategy for making work I draw, collage, paint, print and sew onto unconventional found, re purposed and ephemeral materials such as; jetsam rags, old coffee sacks and discarded clothing, the aesthetic beauty of these materials in their distressed, damaged and
altered state hold a power to communicate that excites me. My work develops in stages, continuously reconstructing, deconstructing and manipulating these materials, nothing is wasted, every fibre and thread cut is kept and used, paint on the table is mopped up by rags that will form new works.
Defects and unintentional flaws are left visible, I avoid the urge to cover my mistakes instead they become purposeful and create their own narrative. Their alterations happen haphazardly evoking
new representations in parallel to my own intention. I play with the constraints alongside materiality and stretch these as far as I can. Heavily textured and layered surfaces are a powerful element of the
work, engaging other senses besides sight to evoke sensations, memories and associations.
Simoneswaineart@instagram
