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Child's Play
Child's Play was an exhibition of new works shown at Floating Goose Studios inc. at the beginning of 2016. Child’s Play explores the childishness of violent impulses and the violent impulses of childhood, embracing the more juvenile aspects my work to date and of the kinds of violent material I am drawn to. Drawing on memories of teenage sleep-overs watching slasher films and the allure of something scary, as well as my observations on how common the theme of violence is in children’s games, fantasy and make-believe, this body of work explores the intermingling of violence and play. Concurrent with this exploration has been my recent admission into the world of parenthood, resulting in a more personal look at how representations of violence can be used to trigger or explore feelings of idleness, frustration, weakness, strength and power.
The works are exercises in the collision of ill intent with the absurd, impotent or humorous, offering the viewer the opportunity to reflect on their own subjective response to represented violence. Can violence be represented in a way which is palatable, or enjoyable? Are we morally free to enjoy something descended from suffering? Does the consumption of violent and terrible fictions provide a kind of cathartic purging, or does it perpetuate dark feelings and desires by giving them something to feast on? In reality, Child’s Play is quite benign; it is the fantasy that is something darker, and it is up to the viewer to decide which takes precedence.