PROJECTS

The Dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a gigantic and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities.

My fascination with dragons goes back to a research trip to the Trinidad Carnival in 2005 there I was introduced to a carnival artist who specialised in a traditional dragon performances and costumes. The performance depicts the dragon crossing over the boundary of the river from the underworld into our reality, even though the dragon represents the devil or evil the job of the performer is to scare people into being good or to make people realise the error of there ways. Back in 2005 I started making blue dragons for carnivals with community groups and schools, since then the dragon has invaded my own practice in the form of a Red Dragon.

Since I was diagnosed with cancer of the mouth in June 2006 I have been gathering information, thoughts, experiences, visual material, reflections, ideas, reactions, writing, e mails, filming, and photos in response to my own personal experiences to the recovery process. You would have thought that being diagnosed with cancer was bad enough oh no the treatment to rid the body of cancer leaves many scars and many questions unanswered with the hope that the pain of treatment is worth it. The image of the dragon crossing boundaries has become one of the ways that I can translate those thoughts and feelings to a wider audience. The visualisation of the cancer in the form of a ‘big red dragon’ has taken on many symbols for me: the cancer itself, the battle scares from the treatment and my determination to fight my cancer in a positive way.

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