Corpus Series (2003)

A photograph taken by a New York Fireman of wreckage of the Twin Towers was the driving force behind the Corpus Series. The photograph catalogued twisted girders and daubed paint marks indicating the location of body parts. I kept thinking about the fact that the image had beauty yet it was of such a terrible event.

I painted Corpus more than a year after the event making the paintings with decorator’s rollers and other non brush tools. Gold, bronze and other bright colours were the palette.

Some two years after the paintings were finished, I visited New York and saw ‘ground zero’ for myself.  If I'd seen the site first I don’t think I’d have painted them any differently.