Statement

M A R I L Y N C H A R L A T D I X

My work presents narratives that convey not only the obvious connections but those subtle

influences that contribute to who we are.

My reference images present a snapshot in time but in a context unknown to me. Personal

roots, relationships and connections are important. I introduce images to different surfaces,

focus first on the people as I look for a unique method to convey what I interpret as their

history. I imagine their lives, consider their dress, their posture and attitude – I add figures

and create new scenarios. Personalities are revealed through the combination of these

characteristics, interaction with the other images, the attributes of the layered surfaces,

the marks, and the design I impose. In Echoes of the Past, I have also incorporated snapshots

of the ageing environment around us. Rusted metal, algae near the water’s edge or color

reflections in windows I passed. These images integrated with the figures tell of the footprint

left behind.

My medium is unlimited and incorporates canvas, paper and acrylic gel sheets combined

with thread filaments and images in ways that are solid and ethereal. My color selection

reflects the period portrayed in my resource photos. These are split seconds in time I’ve

revisited. I start with captured moments as I create my visuals to prompt the viewer to create

context and react personally to them. By manipulating and layering photographs of family,

friends, and strangers, I delve into the ambiguity of our past and present lives, and mine

the connections that influence and shape us.

To me, these messages and memories are private and at the same time universal. I try to

provoke both quiet introspection and noisy dialogue.

We have inner and outer lives.

We have obvious and hidden stories.

Life is simple. Life is complex.

Our lives, ultimately, become stories which should be told and preserved.