It has been deemed Necessary in this century for Artists to explain their work and produce documents approximating to a Mission Statement before they can commit a single action.  There has even been a fashion for writing ON paintings to clarify the message for the viewer. I still insist that the best Artist Statement is the art itself, for not all are equally gifted in the use of words and of visual metaphor; one would, after all expect few novelists to get out the paint-box and depict the idea of writing the book.

 However, I believe that the traditional painting and compositional skills evolved over centuries are at least as good a method of expressing ideas - and perhaps more importantly, feelings – as are installation and procedures relying upon happy accident.  It is also self-evident that the traditionally painted image can endure for significant periods of human history.  That has yet to be proved for high profile contemporary experiments, however challenging, shocking or fashionable.