I have been painting today. It's funny that initially I attempted to recreate the images of my paintings in video and now I am basing my paintings on the stills of the videos. It is also strange how my videos are abstract but the stills themselves become more figurative - details emerge: grass, rocks, textures of dry earth...
My work has always been based on memories of walks in the landscape and I thought why can't the walk itself could be the end result, recorded through video?
It is easy to be absorbed in the process of working with images in the studio, which is important, but I felt with this project that it is vital for me to be personally involved in the camp at Rivesaltes; I have requested to be a volunteer at the detention centre which holds refugees awaiting visas, situated on the edge of the camp where my videos are made.
Images
Top: Jonathan Moss, 'RQVII', Mixed media. Painting based on a video still from a video made at Rivesaltes
Bottom: Jonathan Moss, 'Rivesaltes (Shoah)', Collagraphs, 2008. Photo: Chris Webb. Limited edition book of prints based on video stills from the Rivesaltes videos to be shown at Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries, 23 May - 28 June: 'Place, Identity and Memory'.
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