Alexis Neal, Bed of Roses

sarah

Alexis Neal, Bed of Roses

$8000

Bed of Roses, You make your bed… and Tears of Love come from a series of work called ‘Something to Remember’ which refers to the act of refiguring a past as contingent in the present. The works consider the process of forming identity influenced by community, place, role-models, and experiences; as well as the structures providing context within which identity is established.

​A body of work where I have revisited my childhood memories, reflecting on learning, identity, and my sense of place, trying to understand what I knew then to what I know now. It talks about the gaining of ‘Empowering Knowledge’ gathered over a period of time through continual inquiry and strongly influenced by WOKE.

The colour red is deliberate, for me it represents blood, genealogy, war, and history and in my mind, has distinct feminine qualities. It is sensual, associated with both the passion and fragility of our humanness. The tears can be interpreted as both tears of joy, and tears of loss. Exploring my personal connection to a time and place where my sense of identity existed without reservation or judgement. 

“My fondest memories are of my maternal grandparents and the special relationship I had with them. As a child I loved watching my grandmother working with her hands folding fondant icing into delicate roses and adorning beautifully tiered cakes. Their humble home was modestly decorated with old vintage wall paper and in the spare bedroom where I often slept hung heavy paisley curtains which were rich with gold and warm shades of red. The spare beds were dressed with quality cotton sheets with pretty roses on them and matching pillowcases; they still exist today”.

A collection of memories brought together, story still perhaps undefined although the connections are clear, repetitive, and obsessive. Memories no longer just inside my head but woven with experience and printed onto paper. These are not just pretty little pictures. They are the manifestation of an artist’s voice, a therapeutic discourse.

Size: 3000 x 500mm

Medium: Printed woven whariki with T stained Hahnemühle paper 300gsm (1/1)

Status: For Sale

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