THE WEY GALLERY |  Joseph Silcott

"Inspiration for my recent work comes primarily from Nature and in particular butterflies and moths and the folklore and mythology surrounding these insects, to produce work with a narrative quality.  I like the school of thought that butterflies represent the soul and also parallels drawn between their life cycle and that of the life, death and resurrection of Christ.  I tend to work in series and as well as interpreting butterfly myth and folklore, I draw inspiration from classical music, in particular the Papillons piece by Robert Schumann which attempts to capture their movement and flight, and Puccini's Madam Butterfly.  Nocturnes by various classical composers also, I feel, capture the spirit and characteristics of the moth perfectly.  I am also inspired by the Victorian obsession of collecting, preserving and presenting insects in boxes.

"My butterflies are created from collaged paper.  I really enjoy the process of collage, layering and texturing various elements from disparate sources and combining these to create a cohesive whole.  I use imagery taken from advertising as well as the rhythm and patterns of found imagery and wrapping papers which I then cut up to create a newly ordered image.  As well as their natural beauty I agree with the Eastern belief of butterflies as bringers of joy and being the essence of happiness."

Joseph studied at Liverpool Art School and St Martins School of Art, London.