‘Biscuits’

At the time of making this piece I had recently become a father and found myself frequently reflecting on my own childhood. When I was young ‘Biscuits’ were always part of the ritual of play and an innate attraction towards fine detail was already beginning to reveal itself in my fascination with the sculptural qualities of the humble biscuit – with their distinct forms, relief patterns and textures. As an adult, working with biscuits as the subject matter for an artwork, I realised that these small objects – through their shape, taste, colour and smell – have the power to evoke very specific memories, as well as elicit strong reactions in myself and others. On viewing the finished panel people seemingly felt compelled to tell me about their own likes or sometimes strong dislike for one sort of biscuit or another. For myself, the aversion I have to the ‘pink wafer’ and ‘orange cream’ is still as visceral as it was when I was a boy!