‘Tactility’ 2020
Sometimes the snails stop working to enjoy a little kiss.
Remember, snails are hermaphrodites and therefore they don’t have a particular assigned gender. They are both capable of fertilising and carrying eggs.
If they like each other…. they kiss.
Love is love.
One of my favourite teachers in infant school used to say “A little bit of love makes the world go round”.
Other times they hitch a ride; usually the smaller snails will hop on the back of the larger snails.
These different interactions (stopping for kisses, climbing on to another’s shell, rolling about for a while) all produce a different outcome, reflected in the marks made.
Each decision they make, change of direction and interaction creates a different shape, texture and opacity to the organic pigments.
So while I may choose the colours and the starting points, these tiny shelled artists do all the work from there on.
A fellow artist pointed out today that it’s almost like I’m using one of those UV lamps or heat signature technology to show you what you wouldn’t usually see. I like this analogy.
Snails create these trails all day long and yet they go unnoticed. By adding my organic pigments, I’m revealing the art that’s being naturally created, but highlighting it in vibrant colours; expressing the snails creativity.