Narrative Influences In My Art Production

Narrative influences first came to the forefront of my artwork because of my attraction to the Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of English painters, The brotherhood sought a return to the intricate detail, intense colours and complex compositions of Italian art, prior to the influences of the Mannerist movement. I was influenced especially by the works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, of which was heavily influenced by the poet Dante Alighieri as well as stories from mythology.

As my understanding and appreciation for art expanded, so did my approach. I was still heavily influenced by the symbolist movement as well as philosophy and poetry. Works by Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh and Edvard Munch seemed to dominate my fascination as well as Caspar David Friedrich to name just a few. All of these artists imbued a sense of the narrative, whether it dealt with melancholy themes or the sublime found in the landscape.

It almost always had figures in the work that perhaps suggested the presence of the artist sometimes in the guise of another rather than a self portrait. Whether it be Friedrich’s Monk By The Sea, or Munch’s The Sick Child. “I want to keep my sufferings. They are part of me and my art” (Munch).

In many ways the figures I developed in the past became shorthand/symbols of the self and I constructed narratives for my characters to occupy. There were times they would encounter great devotion and at times were pitted behind themes of melancholy and loss. I tried to remove facial features in an effort to disengage myself from my work. No longer did I want these archetypal characters to be restricted or a reflection of me.

Often they do not face the viewer or I would intentionally crop them so they would become more universally understood. But this notion of impeding loss seemed to be at the forefront in so many occasions. The narrative is almost always at play and the use of symbolism is still apparent. I pondered about if it was the fatalist in me that struggles with relationships or my place in the world. Was it about dissatisfaction and the foolish notions of wanting more?

Perhaps all moments are distractions from the act of self reflection; we can look at some events with great nostalgia and joy. But there tends to be a vacuum that we continue to fill in an effort to be whole. For some it is the endless consumption of products that avoid the stillness reflection requires, and even after indulging in these experiences/objects we tire of them and add them to the pile of other objects we have neglected.

I have tried to venture towards abstraction, but still return to the figure and a sense of narrative in my work. Perhaps this is a reflection of my authentic self, something I can’t hide from, something I just need to accept and hope for an audience that finds worth in my pursuits.