The initial intention of the Spellwork series was to participate in the action of a creating a new body of work which would break through artist’s block. I had been experiencing the evaporation of creative motion since the 2020 lockdowns and then the loss of my communal studio in Marrickville. Spellwork did not resolve the period’s artist block, but rather morphed into a poignant collection of sigils.

Sigils are a visual language aimed at communion with the divine, sometimes associated with Norse-Germanic Runes and Celtic Ogham. Sigils are developed from a word, sentence or intention, where the visual elements of aforementioned language is condensed into a singular symbol. They hold meaning only to the artist or producer.

The sigils in Spellwork express the frustration and rage I felt at having artist’s block. The symbols and line-work are extension of the body, mirroring my determination and intention to break through this barrier. My body compulsively generated a language of symbols in a vain attempt to speak with some divine creative force.

This is a hurried, personal collection of paintings. Created in a short time frame, harnessing the energy and forced dynamism of my body, examining intention and output.

image credit: Anna May