LETTERS  June 2015 | charcoal & acrylic on newsprint | dimensions: 58 x 36 cm

Working on newsprint is liberating – the fact that its a cheap throw-away medium is only part of the appeal; yes, if you fuck up, it doesn’t matter, just turn the page and keep going – taking risks in the creative process is made easier, quicker and more exciting, and therefore the potential of creating something new increases. Meanwhile, its her particular paperiness, light and slightly noisy, a bit grubby and grey, full of textural print, and crinkles up when painted, that makes newsprint hugely satisfying to work with – there is no way to be precious about something that dates in under 24 hours (arguably much quicker given internet media) – and the paper medium ages like the headlines over time into a warm sepia, and so the work keeps on changing. I love the fact that a moment in history is captured within a work, and that news headlines have the potential to catalyse creative process by playing with current cultural references.

The Indian women pictured here are holding up toilets like trophies – I couldn’t resist the Duchamp reference.