Memory is a strange thing isn’t it?
Back in November I painted this tree, from a photograph I had taken at 9.20am on Thursday 12th December 2013. When I was painting it, I thought I was painting the tree I used to walk past on the way to the primary school my children went to at the time. However, having now looked at the photographs taken either side of this one on my photostream, I now realise the tree is a different one, somewhere else entirely. I can’t remember this actual tree, nor exactly where it is, so although the photograph tells me that this moment did exist, it feels very nowhere-like now. Almost imagined. This very much relates to the ‘Gently Out Of Time’ work I’ve been making recently.
I wish I had taken more photographs. They would give me a clearer picture of my daily live over the years. I have a few clues, but no details; my calendar and photo stream tells me that I went to see my daughter in a nativity play on the evening of the tree photograph. The calendar also tells me that, the day before, I took my son to a fracture clinic in the morning, and then met artist Martin Fidler in the afternoon. It says I went to a Christmas party with a group of artists on the Saturday evening, and met designer (and still one of my best friends) Andy Barlow on the Sunday. Although I have no sure memory of any of the details of these events, they have all played a part in the puzzle that make who I am today.