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Attract me and repulse me

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My degree show Attract me and repulse me portrays the use of the body, but the body is not necessarily present. The body can move through the space, sit, and interact with the work. the body is repelled by it but also attracted by the softness, but the heavy metal chains continue to repel. On one hand, the soft, pliable materials like fabric or foam exude an inviting warmth and tenderness. They let the viewer inward with a comforting, organic presence . Yet this alluring softness is counterbalanced by the harsh, weighted materiality of heavy metal chains and use of unique shape and colour. The hard, industrial nature of the chains juxtaposes against the plush give of the softer elements. This contrast instills a sense of resistance, even danger - the chains appear to constrict and confine, resisting the body's exploration.The work's title reinforces this dichotomy of being simultaneously drawn towards and pushed away from the piece itself. Despite its abstract, non-representational form, it manages to embody the complexities of human physicality and desire. We are tempted by its sensual, welcoming surfaces, yet held at bay by its aggressive, unyielding components.Ultimately, the body is both implicated and estranged within the work. It encourages physical interaction - to sit amidst its folds, to run one's hands along its textures. Yet the immutable chains remind us of boundaries, limitations, and the ways the body can be bounded or burdened. We are invited in while also being shut out.

Attract me and repulse me, mixed media soft sculpture, March 2024 - April 2024

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