Re-imagined Worlds - May 2008
Dark, fragmentary memories of past events, particularly those generating feelings of entrapment and escape continue to inspire my work. In my most recent installation, ‘Re-imagined Worlds’, I have attempted to capture those associated with experiences from my own schooling. As in previous work, studying old photographs from the family album has been a catalyst for reflecting and making.
In this installation, the centrally located 3D dress constructions have been made to resemble traditional gingham school uniforms in a range of colours, styles and sizes. In order to achieve this a number of reclaimed materials, notably polythene and wire have been fused and interlaced with light and then suspended to appear as ghosts of former identities. Sound effects have also been incorporated to evoke the atmosphere of school environments and to encapsulate emerging themes. Indeed, the combination of elements embedded within the ‘uniforms’ have been fashioned to bring to mind the inherent tensions as well as qualities of imposed conformity, including feelings of suppression and entrapment and conversely, security and status. Inevitably, however as implied within forms, the creation of identity is unpredictable and mutable, encompassing powers to resist conformity in different and complex ways.
This installation is currently touring the UK (2008-2009) as part of the ‘Reclaim, Reuse, Recycle’ exhibition incorporated within the Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts shows. See about for details.
