Peisley Memoir

I attended the Graphics Narrative Course on line with Dr. Sarah Lightman in 2022 at The Royal Drawing School. I leant that zines have been used to tell one’s story in a direct way, often hand made, home produced and distributed through a network of zine and comic fans.
I related to the strong story telling aspect, the raw truths and content grappling with intense themes.  When I went to research the busiest section of my local book shop was of young people looking at graphic memoirs. There was something in this.
Because I dissociate and I don’t think or make in a linear way I didn’t know how to speak my truth. Was it my truth? Was memory even real. I had to invent my own way of working. I didn’t want a witness to this process , to be censored or to draw a linear narrative. I wanted liberty of expression.
Sarah encouraged me not to self censor or to discount or throw out anything, to consider my entire artistic practice. Tough call.
I started to keep an insta thread with my longings, dreams…everything. Using an app on my phone I began to drop images into a book. I dropped in performance, drawings, photographs, quotes and sculpture. I made them intuitively until I ran out of puff then sent them off. When the books returned and I opened the glossy pages I gasped, was startled. They hold so much.
These are my Peisley Memoir books.
I am proud to have been invited back to the Graphics Narrative course as a visiting artist .