"I am fascinated by the capacity of art to bring to light something in ourselves of which we were previously unaware. My recent work looks at how this can happen, or not happen, when people and artworks come face to face. I have called the series "Art and not-art". In these pictures we see, or sense, how people react to works of art, and how the museum or gallery environment can shape their response.

At one level the paintings deal with our ambivalent relationship with the past, and how we connect to or feel alienated by our cultural heritage. The juxtaposition of exhibits and gallery visitors brings together the different worlds of past and present, and potentially a clash of values can take place. Sometimes a tension is apparent between the ideals embodied in the art and architecture of the gallery, and the less exalted reality of the ordinary people juxtaposed against them. It can sometimes seem that the perfection these ideals embody represents an implicit criticism of the imperfections of the onlookers. The contrast can make the latter look banal or dull- or the ideal seem overblown, exclusive, or coldly authoritarian. In some instances the beauty of real life seems more compelling than that of art; yet in others a genuine, personal drama can seem to resonate profoundly with its artistic counterpart.

My compositions often create a deliberately restricted view of the figures, exhibits and settings, making them ambiguous or even unidentifiable. The effect is to leave enigmatic clues or hints as to who and where the figures are, and what they are looking at (or not looking at, as the case may be) - like the fragmentary elements of a dream.

Sometimes the artwork depicted can appear to be a projection of the figure's imagination - perhaps suggesting a childhood memory, or some unresolved relationship; or perhaps symbolising some inner fear or longing that has up to now remained unvoiced. In this case, the painting can seem to become a representation of an individual's inner world, made visible through the artwork that they peruse. This sense of an objective image becoming a glimpse of a more personal, imaginary realm can be enhanced through the use of light and colour; this is something that I sense intuitively and then try to develop as a painting progresses.

I plan my pictures quite carefully; however, once a painting is underway, there is often a sense that it takes on a life of its own, prompting me to move beyond my original conception into new and unexpected territory. I will often stand back and try to sense the mood suggested by a half-formed image; as I follow these hints, this mood gains in intensity, and as it progresses the work becomes invested with unforeseen emotional drama and a more personal significance.

A picture can thus come to express something within myself that I did not intend when I began it. For me, it is this process of discovering the elusive that makes painting challenging and exciting." Richard Whincop