Viewpoints, Mexico

Traveling through a foreign country or visiting a new place gives us exposure to unfamiliar cultural and physical landscapes. We encounter other peoples' perspectives and attitudes, giving us insight into their way of viewing the world. It forces us to question, alter and sometimes change our own ideas about life.

My work, over the past 5 years, relates to my travels to archeological sites in Mexico. With an aerial view of the landscape, I began by drawing maps of these ruins and, by means of woodcut and lift print techniques, incorporated them into my prints. I later examined the ancient buildings themselves - their overall shapes, structures and embellishments. I especially enjoyed the textured surfaces and produced a series of collographs to reflect these features.

In my paintings, I was able to further explore the ruins. By increasing the scale, focusing on colour and carving into the spackle, I hope to convey the moods as well as the atmospheric and geographical qualities unique to each setting.

It is easy to forget there is more than one way to view situations in life, and to develop habitual thinking patterns. Travelling challenges us to expand our perspective, think more flexibly and to discover new territory within ourselves.