Lexicon (as artist the of portrait)

I had been working around the time of this work with an image of a house on fire that I ripped from the internet. I had the idea to do a digital video and photoshoot in my studio and I invited professional videographer James Cosens to carry out the work. My intention with this work was to perform as a self-referential gender-fluid Madonna and Child. I had the house on fire image printed to a large scale to serve as a backdrop, and I prepared a customised outfit, including a crown of flickering candle bulbs, a QR code on my forehead (leading to a page of description of the work on my website) and a garland of paper Marigold flowers. In my arms I am cradling an unfinished large version of my 2011 artwork 'Dervish'. The title references the novel by James Joyce, which I have reversed a fragment of in homage to my left-handed dyslexia. This is a Lexicon of my life.