2011 Noah in Melbourne
The ‘theme’ - is a congealing of ideas and images coming from the ‘current’ contemporary psychological mood worldwide. I think we are struggling with our loss of a sense of security in the world.
I want to make the queer feeling of losing control into images, despite how frightening it feels. Using some iconography of old stories of disaster and rescue (e.g. Noah’s Ark), to help me along, interlaced with ‘familiar things’ from every day life (Trams and identifiable locations) and the encounter between I hope there is a sense of hope. Noah having commissioned the Richmond tram to ferry his recruits as the storms rise. Noah arriving at the end of a long local jetty, no one sure if the gathering on the shore is ‘too late’ or not sure what to do!
The work will be a juxtaposition or paradox of our cultured civilization facing up to some rather primitive and bothering matters. Global warming, Mayan Calendars, Immigrants or invaders (and isn’t that what we are?), Extremists who know no boundaries, and are grown in our own gardens with love, Globalism, technological invasions, and the loss of the secret sacredness of our lives – e.g. hello Face book world. All these things stir up odd feelings in comfortable civilized communities, mostly because they trigger core survival instincts and leave no place alone. We don’t sit on a tram or under a tree and dream, we text and blog! There is no secret place. The ‘nest’ is under threat. What to do ? Its like a full circle and that sense of hopelessness is why eventually, in our desperation – we end up creating stories, to help us cope and see reason in the unreasonableness of life unfolding against our wishes. I am making the paintings about this feeling, the feeling of strangeness about being in control at the same time as having none at all."
Helen Norton 2011
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Also in Blog
