The Split

I am developing figurative compositions that depict the unseen feats of manipulation that occur in abusive relationships, as well as the complex psychological responses to covert abuse and how trauma settles in the body and mind. In a narcissist's arena, attraction and repulsion co-exist; for the victim, what was first a predator becomes the bully within. Therefore, this work is also intended to explore the duality of human behaviour, the inner conflict of the individual attempting to reconcile their own role in their unravelling.

At the outset of this project, fully in the throes of PTSD myself, I experienced a fertile subconscious flow of images, from which a pile of titles for works of art emerged. These words that were quickly jotted down to capture an elusive state of mind have begun to evolve into drawings and mixed media works. They comprise allegorical illustrations of out of body experiences, and the replication of figures, that become a graphic decor to embellish the house of the lost spirit.

For the Streamers Project, I will choose titles from the cache I created and draw the story out, using the interacting figures on range of media: paper, fabric, and working towards the installation of domestic items like wall paper and lampshades. Ultimately I hope to arrange an exhibition locally, together with social services organisations, to raise awareness of the prevalence of psychological abuse within the tapestry of domestic violence. UPDATE on December 6th: I have arranged with social services of a city outside of Palma de Mallorca to exhibit a selection of this series and to hold several talks with local adolescents about how the work addresses abuse.