"Teethers"
Teethers – This artwork represents, as the name suggests, teething tools used by toddlers, to help them distract themselves from pain created by growing teeth. As expected, these would be one of the worst things to use. Small children will attempt to ‘eat’ anything in order to cure their desire to bite down on things, and being bed posts, these may be the easiest to access. Nails sticking out from the side is a representation that children cannot see the dangers posed by objects, linking to research carried out by psychologists Eleanor J Gibson and Richard D in the 1960s. This makes us feel uneasy, as small children do not understand the dangers which lie in everyday life, and we may sometimes feel helpless in order to stop them.
"Step"
Step – Similar in a physical and visual aspect to the artwork “Teethers”, this piece is a representation of how life may not be as easy as we first perceive it to be. It’s obvious that this item is not something you would normally be seen climbing, due to the clear nails pointing out, which would go straight through your foot. However, in real life we are unable to see these issues, dangers and threats which they pose, and often we dive head-first into bad decisions. This can have detrimental affects on our mental health and our wellbeing, as well as our jobs, education and family. It is showing how what we perceive to be safe, a step, may be something that of the complete opposite.
Unease 1
Unease 2
Unease 3
"Unease"
Unease – Three photographs, which are similar in many visual aspects and all share the same message. These images have been taken in front of a red tinted LED light, and are of a semi-opaque plastic bag. At some glances they can look calming, almost as if the plastic is flowing and moving to a rhythm or poem, however, looking at a different part of the photograph it can seem sinister and uneasy. The balance of shadows and highlights make each image portray these two different thoughts effortlessly.
"Bedroom"
Bedroom – This installation was intended to be rather large, having a large, multiple layered, multiple textured plastic sheet to enter with a large strip down the centre to let the red light out. I have re-imagined it here, providing a video to imitate what it may have looked like if it were the real size (250x250x150cm). This installation represents not only unease, but also how comforts can also be a sign and a reminder that we are not okay. The hand-made headboard is the main part of this piece, as it represents home being a safe place, yet also represents sometimes being lonely, cold and unsettling. Struggles with mental health also comes into play here, the strong contrast between the soft headboard and the 3 broken glass photographs above it show that people can easily hide how they really feel, and not inform anyone, keeping it bottled up until it explodes. The vulnerability presented by the plastic sheet, instead of a wall, is another dig at how fragile people can be when their mental health is not stable, showing that cracks may emerge, and the ‘light’ can be seen through these cracks. The red light produces an uneasy feel to the piece; creating a confusing and capturing moment in the viewer.