“Absurdity is important to understanding my work and here I’m jokingly thinking about the Englishness of my paintings. The ties relate to the gentleman, The City, fathers, offices, the establishment. These are all things you are supposed to defy as an artist, but which you can’t avoid. Fabric also has a rich history in the story of art from the Bayeux Tapestry to Vermeer, Chardin, Matisse, Polke, Oehlen… I’m fascinated by different styles of painting and enjoy bringing a cacophony of references together, so the different styles of tie refer to different styles of painting. I make the background paintings first but they have to have something missing in them to make the ties work; I want just the right balance of conflict and compliment. The ties left dangling at the bottom of the canvas share the process of making with the viewer, but also have a pathetic quality which counteracts the riotousness of the paintings.”