Milo Day, MA

Artist Statement

Being especially interested in storytelling and mythology, during my time at the School of Traditional Arts, I have been deeply inspired by traditional art forms that have a strong connection to literature such as Persian miniature painting.

I am particularly interested in British mythology especially storytelling in the Arthurian tradition –  which I think, informs and underlies the psyche of British culture, as well as connecting people to its landscape. I decided to make a series of illustrative artworks to accompany the 14th century tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, an alliterative poem which contains many fascinating archetypal motifs, such as the beheading game and the journey of the hero.

I have an enduring interest in Insular manuscripts, such as the Lindisfarne Gospels. These manuscripts include wonderfully complex ornamental, geometric pages called ‘cross-carpet’ pages as well as evangelist portrait pages, which deify and capture the essence of their subject by geometrically abstracting, simplifying and flattening them. I have applied this format to the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, thereby treating it as a sacred text.

To make the paintings I have attempted to immerse myself completely in the story and allow them to emerge on the page. I have combined an intuitive and improvisational method of drawing with techniques of designing complex patterns which I’ve learnt at The School. The result is a series of paintings which, I hope, organically embody elements of the story and help the viewer to enter its world.