Assemblage and Mixed Media

'A Box Of Secrets'

The following artwork was made during the pandemic of 2020-2021, and is my personal response to the collective experience of confinement. During these extraordinary times, our home in Dordogne has been a sanctuary; a place of physical safety. But despite the protection it has given us, there have been times when the collective grief of the world has been unbearably palpable.

Separated from loved ones and our normal activities, these periods of isolation have given all of us the space and time to reflect. Many people have found a clarity of thought resulting from the stillness; the lack of clamour and noise. For others, the imposed solitude has meant loneliness, and a disconnection that has caused fear, and a doubt in what they once believed to be true. In my own reflections, I seem to have unconsciously returned to the themes of identity and belonging, and the meaning of freedom. Not surprisingly, the image of a bird; the universal symbol of freedom, has figured large in my work. I have chosen to create these three dimensional pieces within the confined spaces of boxes and bell jars, as these seemed an appropriate platform for these characters to play out their stories.

The Cuckoo’s Nest - Antique German bisque doll’s head, clay, vintage jewellery, glass and wood bell jar. 18 x 15

Mistaken Identity - Vintage doll, clay, feathers, silk, glass and brass bell jar on a wooden base. 28 x 15

Changing Places - Vintage doll, clay, feathers, silk, various metals, glass and brass bell jar, antique brass base. 28 x 19

A Good Catch - Antique wooden stand, vintage miniature doll, brass and other metals, glass and wood bell jar. 50 x 26 x 14

The Balancing Act - Refurbished antique wooden case, vintage miniature doll, brass, bronze and other metals, glass, paint, wood and textiles. 64 x 20 x 16

Confinement - Antique wooden case, antique bisque doll’s head (Recknagel, German pre-1900), silk, glass. 35 x 19 x 12

Learning To Fly - Antique wooden case, antique miniature bisque doll (German 1880), silk, clay, paint. 44 x 30 x 14

The Hand That Feeds - Antique wooden case, antique miniature porcelain doll (German 1890), vintage bisque doll parts, silk, wood, metal, paint. 35 x 28 x 15

All Dressed Up (And Nowhere To Go) - Antique wooden case, antique bisque doll’s head (Amande Marseille 1900 German), silk, vintage glass jewellery. 40 x 31 x 18

The Vanishing Act - Antique wooden case, antique gilded metal figure, silver, lapis lazuli, amethyst, bisque figures, mixed metals, vintage and antique textiles. 50 x 26 x 13

Lost - Antique wooden case, antique miniature bisque doll (German 1880), silk, cherry wood, feathers. 50 x 27 x 14

A Box Of Secrets - Antique wooden case, antique bisque German doll’s head (K&R Simon & Halbig, 1920), silver, brass, glass, paper, mammal skull. 58 x 29 x 13

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