About a girl

About a Girl (2009)

(Found mannequin: Monoprint, collage, lazertran.)

'Once destined for the skip, 'Alice' and her dismembered limbs now serve as a canvas for my most indulgent whims. Forever collecting; ideas, images and objects which transcend cultures, styles and genres, the things that inspire me are many. Music, art, film, fashion and concepts are forever in my mind and like Alice, I swallow them all. However, as Alice found in Wonderland, giving in to all that is tempting can lead to overwhelming consequences. This feeling of claustrophobia and inspiration overload is represented through the layering of image and text. References to popular culture are crudely recreated as monoprints and applied to the surface of the mannequin using a transfer medium, each one fighting for attention. Rather than presenting Alice as a whole, her torso, legs and arms are left as separate parts, her tattooed limbs representing the many facets of my eclectic desires.'

Maker's Palette

After discovering Lazertran (a really effective transfer medium) I have applied some of my monoprints and drawings onto both paper and ceramic plates ready for the Maker's Palette exhibition at MMU. I'm pretty happy with the results although inevitably there are some that I like more than others. My favourite is probably the Sweeney Todd plate as it reminds me of that amazing scene in the film where suddenly the screen is filled with colour, in total contrast to everything that comes before and after. I also rather like the second seaside plate mainly because it gave me an excuse to include a candy stripe paper bag in the collage. I'm a little obsessed with these bags, they are just so joyful. As for other folks, well they seem to like the teacup plate the best.