Shirley Archibald East Sussex, United Kingdom
I create uniquely shaped canvas stretchers that are constructed from household objects resembling hybrid female forms. I use the canvas stretcher as a symbol for the system and the body and I intend these irregular forms to represent non-conforming, autonomous bodies. These assemblages reimagine a future encompassing the feminine and and reclaiming the magic of the witches in a riotous manner
My practice is situated somewhere between paint and the assemblage of objects. I explore non-patriarchal and queer issues and respond to historical and current events in the world connected with injustice and equality. Most recently I have been looking at the history of witches who were cast out of society in the 15th-18th centuries. My interest is in how the witch can be a potent feminist symbol.
I create uniquely shaped canvas stretchers that that are constructed from household objects resembling hybrid female forms. In my recent work a dirty, used mop seemed to transform into hair dangling from a contorted body and a section of a broom resembled a motor in an assemblage that appeared to be hovering or flying. My work has a punk ethos. I hope to reconstruct a new reality from a broken patriarchal system and put this back together. I use the canvas stretcher as a symbol for the system and the body and I intend these irregular forms to represent non-conforming, autonomous bodies. My artistic production is mainly intuitive, embracing experimentation and risk without a predetermined outcome. I believe there is a magic to employing chance and the subconscious to allow this process to come together naturally without over-thinking. Whilst these assemblages remember the persecution of witches and women, they reimagine a future encompassing the feminine and reclaiming the magic of the witches in a riotous manner.
