The Runcible Spoon
7 – 30 November 2008
Opening preview: Saturday 7 November 5.30 – 7.30pm
Artist Statement:
“As I create an artwork a story unfolds as I work… sometimes these stories already partly exist; sometimes they are a hybrid of multiple stories; and sometimes they are completely new. I work as if I am creating windows to worlds that would otherwise remain unseen. The Runcible Spoon is a collection of works inspired by various nursery rhymes. Each rhyme has been adapted slightly revealing an alternate story from its original form. Jack and Jill, The Owl and the Pussy Cat, and Humpty Dumpty feature among other nursery rhyme favourites.
The title of this exhibition, The Runcible Spoon is taken from the poem “The Owl and the Pussy Cat” by Edward Lear (1812 – 1888). The Runcible Spoon features in this story for lyrical effect as Lear often invented words primarily for their sound. This nonsense object has no explicit meaning to the form or function it serves. So readers are invited to imagine its relevance. With this in mind viewers of this exhibition are invited to draw their own conclusions on what the various elements and character relationships signify.”