On December 15th 2023 at Electro Studios Project Space St Leonards-on-Sea, The Space Between The Shadows; Apotheosis will be opening to the public for the first time. This immersive art installation has been created to provide a space for reflection and connection.
For many of us, life has become overwhelming. With its demands, inputs and continued acceleration we take on more than we give ourselves time to process. Trying to follow the ‘rules’ of society, fitting in with the crowd while simultaneously carving a space for our own uniqueness. On top of this seemingly impossible pursuit, many of us suffer the effects of trauma, ongoing or repressed, which distort cognitive function and upset homeostasis, denying us the freedom to live in peace and harmony - with each other and with ourselves.
Over the past 4 years my paintings have uncovered a personal truth for me, the process of creating these compositions has revealed and healed parts of myself that became damaged and hidden away, disconnected from reality and fractured inside my own mind. In the passage through my formative years and becoming a young parent, I realised that my mental health was seriously afflicted from childhood trauma and inherited conditions. But in seeking professional help, I was left wanting. Another 10 years passed before I realised (was shown) I had to address the issue properly, and another three years to get a decent handle on it. Throughout my treatment, reconditioning, rewiring, reinventing, I painted. Connecting the fractured parts of my personality in shapes, lines and colours. Finding a new composition that just felt right. That felt like me.
When finally I realised that the greatest barrier to my happiness, to my peace, was in my own response to the world around me, to my interpretation of stimuli outside of my control, I was able to let go. To be released from the burden of otherness was the defining moment of my healing journey. I took control back, the ‘rules’ faded away, and life became a path that I chose to walk, everyday.
In December 2022 I began studying religious, spiritual, scientific and mythic texts relating to the universe, its origin, and our place within it. In this I often found connections, similarities in theme and meaning, if not exact words, throughout time and across the planet; we are one. Not just humans, but animals, plants, rocks, planets, et al. The fabric of the Universe can be reduced at every point to the same stuff, beyond atoms we are quanta and space - and mostly, it’s just energy. We are told that God exists everywhere, all at once. I believe that if we choose to live with the intention of finding connection and understanding of the people, life force, matter and energy around us, we may just find the peace we so desperately need.
Apotheosis means ‘the raising of someone or something to divine status’, becoming god-like, also, the ultimate (highest) expression of something. The work at the centre of this immersive installation is a 25 metre canvas, hand painted through an intuitive process of finding balance and harmony between the shapes, lines and colours that define my artistic voice. With this backdrop, I have paired curated lighting and audio to fill the entire landing gallery and create a space for deep reflection, conversation, and connection. This work will be displayed for three days only - you will not want to miss it.
PV 15th December 6pm-9pm, with mulled wine and Yule Tidings
Open 16th and 17th December 12-6pm
Electro Studios Landing Gallery, 5 Seaside Rd, Saint Leonards-on-sea TN38 0AL