Dens, built to protect us from childhood fears, are easily subverted, to become lairs – and so harbour the fears from which we sought to hide. These works subvert the methods and rituals of childhood play to create scenes that conjure feelings of both nostalgia and anxiety. The openings in each artwork become entrances to ‘the other’ – representing an anxiety – a feeling that we are never safe – always conscious of some unknown threat.
Sofa Bed, 2009, photo-etching, 25 x 34 cmSofa Bed – detailLeather Sofa, 2009, photo-etching, 25 x 34 cmFolding Mattress, 2009, photo-etching, 25 x 34 cmFolding Mattress, 2009, installation viewStudded Sofa, 2010-12, photo-etching, 25 x 34 cmVelvet Sofa, 2010-12, photo-etching, 25 x 34 cmRed Leather Sofa, 2009, screenprint, 99 x 132 cmGreen Sofa Bed, 2009, screenprint, 99 x 132 cmRead Leather Sofa and Green Sofa Bed in New Contemporaries 2010Installation view from The Everyday, Marsden Woo Project Space, 2011