Visiting the exhibition 'Curiosity' last week at the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate made me think about my own collection of objects, which I display at Ted Coney's Family Portraits, so that visitors can see how they have been used in the paintings. In the Margate exhibition, the objects were displayed as art pieces in their own right, rather than been shown as visual stimulus for other work.
There was some fascinating things to be seen, including some fertility dolls from Angola which were given to girls on reaching puberty and were expected to be treated like members of the family. When the girls became engaged to be married, the dolls were given names, which were then passed on to the couple's first female child. Heady stuff! I suppose visitors wonder about the choices of my objects when they see a tissue paper balloon, a piece of patchwork and Thomas the Tank Engine all in the same cabinet. Until I explain the significance behind them, of course. We also met Mike Middlebrook last week, who had made me the tissue paper hot air balloon many years ago. He was very surprised to learn that his balloon was in a cabinet for public display, until I explained that there was also a portrait of a 'failed hot air balloon' in my painting ' Limners'.
You can see some of my objects on my Facebook page and in a recent short video which appears near the top of the NEWS AND REVIEWS page. Or you can come on a tour.
There was some fascinating things to be seen, including some fertility dolls from Angola which were given to girls on reaching puberty and were expected to be treated like members of the family. When the girls became engaged to be married, the dolls were given names, which were then passed on to the couple's first female child. Heady stuff! I suppose visitors wonder about the choices of my objects when they see a tissue paper balloon, a piece of patchwork and Thomas the Tank Engine all in the same cabinet. Until I explain the significance behind them, of course. We also met Mike Middlebrook last week, who had made me the tissue paper hot air balloon many years ago. He was very surprised to learn that his balloon was in a cabinet for public display, until I explained that there was also a portrait of a 'failed hot air balloon' in my painting ' Limners'.
You can see some of my objects on my Facebook page and in a recent short video which appears near the top of the NEWS AND REVIEWS page. Or you can come on a tour.
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