Artist's Statement by Kathy Vones

My current body of work draws its influences from nature, more specifically the deep sea environment and its cycles of growth, maturity and decay. While I have harboured a fascination for the deep sea environment for many years, this interest was consolidated on a recent trip to Japan, during which I visited the vast Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, as well as the Kaiyukan aquarium in Osaka, one of the largest in the world. I was mainly fascinated by the colours, textures and patterns of raw fish and the innards of shells, as well as displays of fragile jellyfish, insectoid giant spider crabs and vibrantly patterned octopi.

My work reflects these sources of inspiration through the use of brightly coloured silicone rubber shapes, which are reminiscent of deep sea creatures in both texture and transparency and are embossed with delicate surface patterns. While I have considered a variety of different forms, for the purpose of this collection I decided to limit myself to a shape derived from a sea anemone, as this provided me with an opportunity to deepen my experimentation with colour and pattern.

The palette I have chosen reflects my interest in the deep sea environment, with some pieces incorporating the bright, vibrant colours of blossoming sea anemones and urchins, while others use more subtle colours to reflect the gentle, diffused glow of the submerged marine environment. I have also been doing a wide range of experiments with special effects pigments, such as metallic, UV active, phosphorised and light reflective pigment, as well as exploring the use of different patterns in different pieces.

Recently I have been particularly interested in exploring ways to combine these silicone shapes with delicate metalwork, especially fragile wire structures and finely textured sheet metal. Smaller pieces, such as the series of four rings and the “Creature Pins” aim to emphasise and enhance the particular qualities of each individual shape, humorously exploring notions of preciousness and value. The resulting contrast between clean, simple wire and sheet metal structures and delicate, vibrantly coloured and textured rubber shapes is a defining aspect of my work.