Artist Statement

My work takes a democratic approach to engaging with an audience, aiming to be thought-provoking and enjoyable on different levels by taking action against social inequality to create art that connects with people from all walks of life.  

The core medium and process I use is forged steel. I find the embodiment of physical labour and material manipulation has a potency essential to my practice. As well as working with mixed or digital media and in collaboration with other artists.

Often my work takes the form of sculpture, but I'm also very interested in the possibilities of video, animation and performance art. I like the notion of literally bringing the work to life. 

Stylistically I have developed a dark and bizarre visual language.  Shaped by my own personal experiences of traveller culture, festivals and activism incorporating discoveries from my journeymanship across Europe- from the historical commedia dell'arte,Italian carnivale. Jean Tinguely's Kinetic Sculpture and the diverse world of puppetry, from marionettes to the Japanese technique of Bunraku and, most recently, Eduard Bersudsky's artwork at Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre have all been huge influences on my style.

Form, aesthetics, and visual stimulation is vital to my creation as I feel the art needs to look impressive; I am now ready to focus on my 'ideas' more. Inspired by Grayson Perry's approach, I feel the impulse to create work responding to contemporary themes such as climate change, the art of protest and political issues.

Jack Waygood