Persona

“In my art practice, I have always been interested in the relationship between people, place and space and how they are inextricably linked. I also enjoy exploring the particular moments and stories, which the relationship between people and place produces.

I have always been a painter but recently I was awarded an Arts Tasmania grant to help me explore the use of digital imaging skills in my art practice. This included funding a mentor Suze Van Der Beek who helped me develop a good foundation of digital imaging skills. My digital imaging work is produced by working from my original drawings. Drawings are an important part of my process. They are my first response to what I observe around me and my way of exploring notions around character, space and connection. One of my aims is to make my drawings stronger by enhancing the texture and correcting and tidying up the raw product. I copy a part of a drawing I have already done, and flip it around and construct a new image in a way I don’t normally do.

Persona is a series of digital images which focuses on characters I meet and also celebrities and sports stars I read about in the paper. I begin with the character and then the location or landscape is a response to that particular character. My opinion or the story I am trying to tell also influences the form, colour and text and all these aspects merge together. Basically, my work has always been about telling stories and my digital imaging work uses the same premise.

Persona will also include some digital imaging work by my mentor Suze Van Der Beek.”

- Alan Young