Fathom was named after song sung by the spirit Ariel in William Shakespeare’s The tempest

Like most sons my relationship with my father was complex. He had many jobs but ironically he became the manager of a swimming pool. He often talked about when he was a kid growing up in the East End, he would swim in the canals. Once he nearly drowned. I myself have a fear of water and can not swim.

Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Ding-dong.
Hark! now I hear them,--ding-dong, bell.

POLYTHENE WORKS

1978

I loved being a student and especially at Goldsmith’s. Everyday was an adventure. I took a year off between my second and third year, not quite sure why I did this, probably for a number of reasons. Once I have an idea in my head to do something, I find it an irresistible urge.

Well the reasons are too complicated to go into detail here. I had big issues about the degree show and in fact the degree process. I tried to lead a revolt against the system but I was a minority of one.

I think the major reason for taking a year out was to get away from my year. It was nothing personal, I just hated being part of a group.

So in the next year I was completely disengaged from the year and I did not feature in the final degree show catalogue. I was happy about that.

I did not join in the frantic painting of the walls and floor of my space, I left them with all the general marks of the day to day use of it as a studio. My work was on polythene and I wanted there to be something underneath to be seen.

I did not hang my show until the very last moment. The work was due to be assessed on the Monday morning, I came in late on Sunday night and hung the work. I knew exactly where everything would go.

About Face

About Face : Under there is something, surprisingly nothing. This was inspired, from a painting by Jasper Johns called According to what. Johns was a major influence on my work.

Eclipse

Eclipse

I loved the polythene works. I had to hunt out places to buy in in the size and thickness I wanted, I found a place in Hatton Garden, in London. Folding them and using wood to make the turns was really interesting. But I knew that this work was interesting but I also knew I was not yet able to progress the work. It was a leap, but I did not understand exactly what I had done. So I was resolved that once the show was finished I would put them away and return to them later in life.

Fold in Yellow

Fathom

This was a very simple work, called fold in yellow. Like all the polythene's they were made by sticking newsprint on to the surface and then adding acrylic paint. This gave the possibility of their being a front and back and I liked that there was a front view and a back view and by flipping or folding the sheet you could see both sides.

Using the wall, with all its imperfections its scrapes and marks was in a way a precursor to the cut-out works of the early nineties.