Original artwork description:

Slate is of sedimentary origin, formed from the deposits of minerals collected on the beds of ancient seas millions of years ago and forced to the surface by the movement of the Earth's crust, retreating seas and glaciation. Eventually it was quarried by man to provide shelter from the elements and became eroded and marked by this exposure and also by man-made pollutants in the atmosphere.

I like the idea of working with slate because of the age and nature of the material. I am interested in the journey from the seabed to the quarry, from the quarry to the rooftop, and from the rooftop to the artwork.

In ‘Deciphered day 2’, I have selected 2 discarded slate pieces and washed away the grime collected over the years to reveal its natural texture and colouring. The circle, a universal shape at the heart of our relationship to the world, and its diagonal have been scratched into the surface with a sharp point. It is juxtaposed to a spoon, representing a common or garden object, that is also scratched into the surface perhaps suggesting a connection to the world in which we live.

The work is then glazed and framed with a plain 3 cm flat white wooden surround and ready to hang. 62x59x2cm

Materials used:

Recycled roof slate

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