In 'Calm before the storm' (2022) the viewer experiences the work through a well-lit, street-facing window. The work initially evokes an oasis of quiet on a busy streetscape. This installation is comprised of a series of oval shaped planes of found, cotton sheeting. The sheeting is draped and lightly stretched over wire frames. The once flat elements have been transformed into multidimensional, monochromatic shapes to create a body that is an assemblage of component parts.
The inspiration for the work is a posthuman feminist reference to Braidotti’s new materialist understanding of a body that prioritises the nature/culture continuum in a constant state of interaction and natural change. The work embodies tension by means of the creation of dark grey shadows that have the appearance of the thick clouds of a brewing storm. As suggested by the title, the work could evoke an ambiguous sense of ominous anxiety that may or may not be misplaced.
