Kay Wood

Kay Wood

‘It’s the first time everytime’ Noel Sheridan 1936-2006

My original painting practice expanded when I began to incorporate and recontextualise other material elements of my own experiences. In practice the arrangements of seemingly mundane, unrelated materials, forms, marks and body energies, either within or beside painting, are found to be transformational in terms of self reflexivity.

Seen through a lens of awe and wonder at BEING, I view all my work, not as ‘a painting or an object’ but as thing-areas where energy collects and is allowed to express, especially if it contradicts habit or expectation. Working across different surfaces and with various media is more liberating and lets the subconscious work around and past the ego’s restrictions.

Improvisation and unpredictability are key and, as much as I can, I ‘allow’ rather than direct the flow in the studio where development of aesthetic style is countered at every turn, in favour of something approaching aesthetic bliss and expanded consciousness through the art of play.

My own everyday experiences (past and present) are my well from which I draw as I consider the infinite within all seemingly small and insignificant things. Being willing to consider the minutiae of my own life as a worthy reason to create is my own challenge. Not only might my work appear lacking in worldly significance, but vulnerability in this process is critical as openness means unforseen results and that is how I know I’m engaged with the tacit intelligence of being.

Because of the ‘unknowing and letting’ within my work process, final THINGS are filled with space for viewer relationships which may have nothing to do with my specific connections.

As I work, what is ultimately co-created will always be some kind of balancing act, between structure and the un-nameable….. an ongoing conversation between my body and materiality, within the pictorial imaginary (which anyone can join).