Andrew Reeve

Artist statement

I was born Monday 1st August 1977 and I'm, essentially, a painter. Sometimes I use a knife instead of a brush; a controlled act of violence.

A painting can be more than the image on, or what is cut out of, a canvas. It can be the object as a whole; frame, title (essential), or empty space in the canvas. The "happy accidents" in the paintings are those I do not make; the original artist's notes scrawled on the canvas, the gallery's stamp or any other marks, dust, cobwebs etc. , that root the work to a past life or event that I have some intangible connection with.

Cutting into an existing painting causes me to think about the artist responsible for the original work and the absurdity in my actions: What right do I have to do this? What would the artist think of my involvement? Through the process of hand-cutting into a painting, I maintain a personal connexion with the work by using skills associated with traditional drawing and painting.

If I choose to cut a value from the canvas this value could be related to personal events, witty or critical observations, or context, as well as being the price of the work. Why should one work cost more than another? There is no escaping how much one has paid for one of these works, but I will always make one that, arguably, anyone can afford to buy. You will have to be alert or serendipitous.

As I age my work becomes increasingly personal and more valuable to me. Of importance is the responsibility in enabling thoughts that may question our identity, philosophy, beliefs, ideas, and actions. They are my expressions in an increasingly entropic world.

If I live until Saturday 1st August 2054, I will be 77 years old and may no longer make art...