Inaburra School
Dharawal Country
Beloved
Drawing
Graphite pencil on paper
Toys are not merely objects; they are vessels for imagination, companionship and identity. My body of work represents the pop-culture icons of past and current generations: the teddy bear of the early 1900s; the ‘80s Cabbage Patch doll; my own toy horse for my generation; today’s all-the-rage Jellycat. Using the dark monochromes of graphite pencil to reference vintage black-and-white photography, my intention was for Beloved’s nostalgia and melancholy to prompt the audience’s introspection, and a visceral connection to the fleeting identity of childhood. The infantile imagination and selfhood we find in these common companions is simply what makes us human.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Louise Bourgeois, Mark Ryden, Mike Kelley.
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