While walking through Central Park, I stopped to consider a squirrel shuffling aside leaves to gather the nuts underneath. This series of monotypes pays homage to the world of living creatures under our feet seldom seen and often ignored.
The process is deliberately spare, a testament to my belief in the power of simplicity and the strength of delicacy. The combines of Robert Rauschenberg rely on carefully selected fragments, found material and images from everyday life. Here I have used fishing bait, fallen leaves, plastic decorations, pre-printed paper and photocopies in the printing of the complete portfolio of 23 pieces.
Making art about the natural world always runs the risk of being sentimental. Combining disparate icons is one solution to avoid bathos. Dried leaves smell of a sweet nostalgia of things past; reptiles have a sensory history of cold slime and startled scuttling. The combination of the two strikes a balance, like sweet and sour soup.
