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"Ann Winder-Boyle's small-scale encaustic pictures always reward a second look - they have an intriguing edge of darkness about them." - Andrew Graham Dixon, leading art critic, presenter of the BBC’s flagship arts program ‘The Culture Show’ and columnist for the Sunday Telegraph.
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How much of our happiness or unhappiness in life is linked to expectation? My art form initially developed as an emotional and therapeutic response to a period of personal distress, and has developed and progressed to explore the link between expectation and our sense of fulfilment. In the days following my mother’s death I found many items, including old family photos, letters and a collection of my father’s childhood books, which had been lovingly inscribed by various members of his family. I found these hand-written inscriptions touching and it highlighted the transient nature of time and the sadness inherent in our natural decay. Using collage and assemblage I began to create ‘Joseph Cornell’ style boxes using the materials that I had found in my mother’s home. This process has since evolved into a collection of small boards, collaged with old books and beeswax. The small scale of the pieces entices the viewer to move closer, creating a more personal and intimate experience. The work is richly layered and often incorporates complex and challenging scenes. By deploying the use of age-withered books and beeswax this not only adds to the nostalgic experience visually, but also via the olfactory senses. I also enjoy the unpredictability of working with the beeswax in the final stages. My subject matter and tone: sometimes edgy, sometimes playful, have all been influenced by my trauma and yet have undeniably assisted my recovery. A nostalgic and sometimes melancholic experience, and open to personal interpretation is how I like to describe my work, and yet always with a sense of reference to happiness and its relationship to expectation. Ann Winder-Boyle |