Interrogating Appearances: The Drawn Self

"Where is your authentic body? You are the only one who can never see yourself except as an image; you never see your eyes unless they are dulled by the gaze they rest upon the mirror or the lens"

Over an extended period of time, I have been making large-scale drawings that explore the relationship of the female subject, as the artist and model; the defining acts of scrutiny, gaze and feeling are embodied through the act of drawing. These drawings seek to identify and visualise the relationships between what is seen, what is felt, and what we expect to see, disclosing an inherent paradox as the mind reveals the form it inhabits. This interrogation of gesture and expression has led to a sequence of drawings that question not just the appearance, but the emotional or haptic sensation of being inside a skin or body that can only be seen or recognised by the self with the aid of a mirror.