A&D ANNUAL 2021

Claire Crook

Utilising a visual language of colour and symbol in a tradition of organic abstraction, Claire Crook works across disciplines to examine connections to self, elements of nature, and lived experience. Her background in social work makes Claire a keen observer of people and human behaviour, which also influences her work. In her recent series 'Don’t I Know You?', Claire expands into wall relief sculpture to explore the notion of persona: the aspect of someone’s character that is presented to or perceived by others. Using a process of cut-outs and assemblage in the tradition of Jean Arp and Henri Matisse, the series alludes to purposeful construction of persona. The series invites consideration of how personas relate to authentic self, with subjective perceptions of persona as variable as the number of observers.