Nick Whittle

Artist's Statement

I am a diarist: regardless of scale or medium my practice explores encounters with the world and feelings of alienation and connectedness through a stream of consciousness.

Much of my work is inspired by what was once described as "an ongoing interest in the narrow strip of land between high and low water."1 To which l would add, the proximity to water is as essential to my practice as the air l breathe, and it is through my dialogue with a specific place that memories, dreams and unexpected observations enter my work.

Throughout my career occasional three-dimensional pieces have been significant and can in retrospect be seen as markers for a change in direction or fine-tuning.

I see my work as an act of defiance. In recent years many large works have been temporary or made use of fugitive materials.

Words, whether singularly or in a phrase, have been a frequent visitor to my practice and naturally gave way to the writing and publication of poetry.