I had a Dream I was Hans Arp

In the course of learning new techniques or experimenting with different ideas, I sometimes produce material that seems to have served its purpose e.g., a painting that ‘didn’t work’ or test prints. While there are some straightforward ways to reuse them such as painting over a canvas, I enjoy the challenge of finding new ways to repurpose them rather than discarding them.

I had a Dream I was Hans Arp represents the first iteration of using old photos to create new artworks. After tearing them up and placing them in a leftover shoe box, I took inspiration from Jean (Hans) Arp, scattering them across the floor (or sometimes on a board, or another box) and then photographing them. The resulting images echo works by Marcel Duchamp, Franz Marc and of course Hans Arp himself.