Inspired by Blake’s poem ‘Tyger, Tyger’, ‘Tiger With a Why’ is a layered exploration of the creative process – bringing an entity into being, capturing creative energy, provoke the viewer’s imagination and question possibilities. Combining collage, texture and paint this piece is worked on a substrate reclaimed wood: oak, pine, birch, mahogany, and elm. The essence of ‘tiger’ takes shape through found materials, textiles and literal blank space. Utilising air as a texture, creates a sense of unease, I wanted the piece to hold an unresolved incompletion, as is often the creator’s dilemma.
Navigating the layers four tigers are represented — each deliberately awkward, embracing a fearlessly asymmetrical stance, a nod to Blake’s Tyger – “fearful symmetry”. Unexpected items and marks respond to Blake’s concept of ‘four states of mind’ and his fear that scientific ‘Newtonian’ thinking reduces creative thought – echoed by a discarded metal tape-measure. Recycled door furniture an invitation to open our perception and blank space offers an abrupt reminder of the possibilities and energy of imagination.
In essence, ‘Tiger with a Why’ celebrates the process of creation, the allure of imperfection, and the endless possibilities that arise when we dare to view the world through unconventional lenses.
