‘SIT’

My practice is an exploration into the displacement of objects within architectural space and how environment influences perception and response. I consider the degree to which audiences are guided by the spaces around them and how we are inherently directed by the architecture that we inhabit. I focus on the impact of displacement when moving objects from the private domestic sphere into the public domain; how it affects interpretation and value. I explore this concept in my work by creating installations that give the illusion of a familiar domestic space, but on closer viewing are a collection of uninhabitable and dysfunctional sculptures. The objects I make have domestic familiarity but are distorted to remove their functionality and represent their altered form, purpose, and status within the public sphere.

Human behavioural patterns and body movements are reflected in my work by considering how audiences interact with artwork on public display. I capture movement patterns symbolic of how audiences respond to artwork within different spaces and shape my work to symbolise human behaviour and preoccupations. I consider how I position myself and my body within spaces; the way I live and interact with objects in my own life, and I incorporate elements of this within my work.

SIT was a natural response to this stream of consciousness, and particularly relevant within the gallery space. A chair references the body directly, with a familiar understanding of purpose, but when the object loses its functionality, it becomes alienating and destructive with a spirit and defiance of its own. Objects of domestic familiarity positioned within a gallery space force the audience to question conformity and social acceptability. SIT aims to highlight the impact of public exposure and physical environmental influences on the perception and interpretation of art.

‘Sit’

Clay, resin, paint, wood

43 x 16 x 17 inch

2022