Up until the end of the 19th century, the art world was largely dominated by the desire to capture and reproduce reality. At a time when the world began to change rapidly, and as new science and technology emerged, a desire to move away from imagery in art grew in the hearts of artists. After the invention of the camera, the need for artists to perfectly replicate images faded. Now, artists were free to start exploring ways to capture something that a camera cannot, such as personal expression, feelings, or experiences. This shift from solidly defined images to undefined shapes and colour allows for a different experience for each person. Each of our lives are unique, and so abstract art can act as a kind of personal mirror into our mind and soul.

In my own work, abstraction is used to represent the journeys we all take through life. Branching and intersecting lines represent our movement though time as we connect with or move away from other people. From a distance certain aspects of a piece appear simple and flat. But as you approach, more complex shapes and colours become visible. This represents how someone’s life may seem simple until you get to know them, and suddenly you realize that their life is just as intricate as your own. Changes in colour and texture represent how our personalities and emotions can shift as life becomes more or less challenging. Soft gradients show how we naturally change and grow slowly over time, while the abrupt colour changes represent how big events can have a dramatic effect on us. All of these elements come together create a stunning image that incapsuleates the human experience. These are just my own interpretations though. The most wonderful thing for me is hearing the different feelings and ideas that people have about my work that I never would have thought about on my own.