Personal Statement

"Combining the mass produced and the unique is, for me, humorous and ironical and full of suggestion and contradiction. I am interested in the process of reproduction (printmaking, digital media, collage, photocopies) and also by the theme of reproduction (with reference to biotechnology, genetics, sex and consumerism)."

"Printed images and multiples enable a process of vulgarisation, undermine the obsession with originality, so that content becomes the primary concern. The repetition of the same imagery echoes our obsession with labels and brands as assurances of quality and also, paradoxically, echoes our fears provoked by images of cloning and other genetic interventions."

"I am especially interested in the idea of the imperfect edition. Traditionally a printmaker is to be congratulated on his or her skill in producing a perfect edition. I have always found this to be a very mechanical approach; after the thrill of pulling the first few prints the process is predictable, a routine. To subvert the idea of an edition is exciting and a good metaphor for the paradoxical relationship between group identity and individuality. In the natural world we are familiar with classification along the lines of type yet on reflection every single leaf on a beech tree, as well as being true to type, is distinctly different."

"I often take my starting point from commercial packaging nets that I customise in terms of structure and scale. In packaging what you see is not always (or often!) what you get. The diminutive cake inside the packet is a mere shadow of the gorgeous looking one printed on the outside of the box. A packet or carton can be a rich metaphor."

"The work for the Art Farm project is inspired by my ongoing interest in the ethical debate surrounding biotechnology and also the relationship between image and paper engineering. In the increasingly secular West, the human body tends to be viewed as a rather poor piece of kit in need of constant upgrading . Animals and plants tend to be seen as industrial material and useful for us to practice on. In this climate we are filled with feelings of fear, curiosity and desire. The very nature of classification and identity is brought into question as a result of the creation of transgenic and hybridised animals and plants."

Helen Snell
February 2006