Mined - A Series of Abstract Paintings Inspired by Belonging, Human Occupation, Bones and Psyche

This collection of paintings were inspired by a visit to Grimes Graves, a cluster of Neolithic flint mines in Suffolk, which are close to where Michelle grew up and where her ancestors are from. This visit provoked thoughts about home, belonging, human occupation, and what’s in our bones and psyche. It also inspired her to examine more closely the very same raw materials – flint and chalk – that she steps over daily on the downland edges of Brighton, her home since the 1980s.

Idle pondering turned to sharper thoughts about things buried, inwardly and outwardly. Sometimes these things are left alone and undisturbed. Sometimes they are retrieved, brought out into the light, perhaps resettled or reused in some way. In both the material and psychological senses, the task of ‘bringing up’ to the surface incurs a cost: to our planet in the form of extraction; to ourselves in the form of powerful feelings re-emerging. Yet to the latter, the process can feel like a sweet release or a ‘returning home’. It might be that something of significance or beauty – a potent gem or a forgotten memory – has been recollected.

Three boundaries were instated for the creation of this work. First, pare down to the essence. Second, limit the palette. Third, source no new materials for the project. These lent a sense of constraint, which is an abiding characteristic of all work conducted underground.

All paintings are for sale unless otherwise stated.