Artist Statement
'The Anicurio Collection':
Pencil art on paper. (Graphite and charcoal.) I'm fascinated with vintage Victorian photos. I think that they showed how they wanted us to see them. But despite their unflinching seriousness, they often let their true personality show through.
As a twist, I anthropomorphize them. This is me continuing an artistic tradition that's around 150 years old. However, most practitioners of this style, would cartoonify them. Often for publications, editorials and post cards. However, I choose to retain the original and natural expression of the animal. I think with the right context and composition, their true personailty can shine through. So, I choose not to exagerate any animals features.
My process: I often begin by thinking what type of animal I want to draw. Then I look through old photo’s to suggest a body type and clothing. I then typically add various props and backgrounds. Finally, I compose the images into one piece. Usually at this point it's a collection of images and my sketches. This composition will be my reference from which I start the drawing. Once finished, I may age the piece. Not always, but when I feel it needs it. (This is the nail biting part). I literally bath it in everything from tea, coffee, soy sauce, lemon juice and then dry it with a heat gun.
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Oil Paintings:
My oil paintings each deal with one moment, one story, or one emotion only.
It all really started with a piece I painted called 'Queue'. It was about a group of people standing (queuing) at a bus stop. I used to do a lot of that back in the UK. I always thought it was strange and a little sad that although we were all there huddled together in the cold, there was never any recognition of each other. It was as though if you did actually have the nerve to break the ice and start a conversation, the other person would simply jump backwards, startled, and say "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."
I didn't really have a style at the time. I just saw these curious figures in my head and wanted to paint them, just for fun. And so after I had finished it I was left wondering what to paint next, and in what style? But emboldened by my first attempt, I decided to further see what would happen with these characters I just created. Who were they? what were they to each other? where would they all be in 20 years from now?
'Queue' became the nexus for my whole style. I have since taken all of these characters and continued them in other paintings. Some as couplets, and some as a whole series of events throughout their lives. You can flip the pages back and forwards, like a photo album of their lives.
In fact, two of the characters on the painting I mentioned at the beginning, are older now. You can see them in a piece called The 'Telly'. But behind them, on the wall, is the painting of them from all those years ago........'Queue".