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| “In its simplest form I subvert reality and tell my stories. It is a kind of ‘Looking Glass’ world, where the bizarre is the norm; memories drawn upon have the freak show grotesque quality. My interest in superstition and in the use of symbolic elements and the myriad of ways these can be read adds another layer to the interpretation of the pictures. I want the work to be reminiscent of photos in a family album. Familial relationships interest me, the rites of passage, the daily rituals, and the everyday becoming tableaux for melodrama. The narrative is often autobiographical but sometimes dreams, or an overheard phrase can trigger a picture. The pictures are often unsettling to look at, a quality I had noticed in the work of Diane Arbus. The normalization of the bizarre and eccentricities, particularly in British society is a central theme in much of my work, following the traditions of Stanley Spencer and Martin Parr. But almost always something darker lurks. These are not comfortable works; the scenes echo silent screams and hysteria”. Bronwen Malcolm, May 2002 |
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