'Ruinous Recollections' > Research

Image above from 'From Queer to Eternity'

My current practice explores autonomous ongoing projects which focus on my interest in the cultural representation, position and attitude towards those outside of the heteronormative mass with an interest in the implications of citizenship and its influence on navigation and memory of the urban environment I augment and re-contextualise various sites and objects by allocating them with new meaning or significance often through drawing, photography and intervention. This interest includes The Pansy Project an ongoing process that involves the planting of pansies at various sites of homophobic abuse. A pansy is planted at the site of a homophobic attack; each location is named after the abuse then posted on my website with further reflection posted on The Pansy Project Blog. Occasional large scale interventions, photographic documentation sculptural assemblage and drawing act as components of exhibition which have been included in various festivals and projects world-wide. Existing for five years the project continues to develop and explore the notion of memory, urban experience and violence from an autobiographical viewpoint. Another experimental stream of my practice is the personification of Coco LaVerne a fictional 'female' incarnation who writes a satirical blog, this 'performative' writing takes inspiration from mainstream media and is intended to critique and observe the representation of society within popular culture. Originated as light relief from the occasionally harrowing Pansy Project the blog has garnered a world-wide following, Coco LaVerne has been described as “An Acid Tongued Glamazon” and as a “Controversial Blogger!” and was nominated for 'Best New Blog' at the Manchester Blog Awards. The imagery and personae of Coco LaVerne is promoted through on-line social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. I have been involved with various curatorial projects including Apartment which was an artist led space ran from my one bedroom council flat in central Manchester a space directed with Hilary Jack which showed various international artists over a period of five years.