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Women are presented with images of the perfect body and body shamed in magazines, social media etc and by other women. Through my soft sculptures of the body I aim to highlight this issue, creating a number of sculptures to confront and challenge. These are some images of the early stages of the process.
We use over 300 million tonnes of new plastic every year. Half of this we use just once and usually for less than 12 minutes. 8 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the ocean every year. Once in the ocean, plastic litter affects the safety of sea transport, fisheries, tourism, and recreation.
This piece is a re-creation of the ocean we are destroying with ‘plastic pollution’. The toxic chemicals given off from the plastic we throw away makes its way up the food chain. Not only are we drinking small pieces of plastic in our drinking water we are gradually watching they oceans plants and animals die. The piece is made from new plastic cable ties to illustrate how long it takes (if ever) for a piece of plastic to disintegrate. The construction process mimics the knotting process used in making fishing nets and lobster baskets. Last year I created a couple of soft sculptures of figures from the life drawing class. I have used these figures to investigate the gaze between the sitter and the model. The following photographs are an experiment into that gaze.
Walking along the canal I came across some vibrant graffiti which has resulted in some striking abstract photographs.
I have been working on a piece to highlight who we have developed charity fatigue, how it is easier to take a selfie than to donate to a charity. The tartan plastic laundry bags have been synonymous with the poor and disposessed, large and cheap enough to carry whole families’ belongings. Recently they have been appropriated by the fashion industry sparking a debate highlighting the gap between those who can afford couture and those who are homeless or transient. With the transparent figures within I wanted to highlight how we often become immune to the realities of the plight of refugees and those living below the poverty level, how the deaths of children and adults become just statistics, and how despite shocking images in the media and charity campaigns etc they somehow become invisible to us. This piece was exhibited at the SIA Gallery, Sheffield in 2017.
I am currently working on a series of soft sculpture heads, made from nylon tights, fleece and cotton thread. Here are some of the images of the progress I have made so far. This will be a series looking at what makes us (women) feel ugly.
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AuthorSue works in mixed media with a particular focus on acrylics, textiles, and photography. Archives
March 2017
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