My work is about control of negativity; shaping the symbolic representation of bad things in my life and representing them as seductive, attractive balanced images. Only on closer inspection does the viewer begin to unravel the patterns and see the bones, mould, and rot that make up the image. From feed back on social media, I have found that the images are 'too beautiful' Even when viewers know what the image is made up of, they are still not repulsed.
So now I am experimenting with using fewer repeats of the original image, so that the meat, blood and lock of hair, for example in this image, are more clearly visible. The globs of congealed blood and meat are thrown into contrast by the bright white of the delicate background. It is difficult for me to do this as I prefer the effect of the large intricate images and this experiment feels like a backward step, but I think it is important to include the sense of dis-symmetry and imbalance that are the natural result when I attempt to control unpredictable elements in my life.
The thick drops of blood, and stains on the cloth are more obvious in this image, as are the marbled patterns on the meat. I think this is probably more effective. I am planning another shoot where I will use oil sprayed onto the surface which will give a more visceral feel to the image.
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