Rudely Awoken

Found chair, wood and paint dust, sandpaper                                                
200 x 200 x (height) 80cm approx                                                                                                Artsway, New Forest, 2007

A found painted Edwardian chair is crudely sanded down until all but the most stubborn paint residue is left. The leftover wood and paint dust from this process is collected and used to create a stencil of the chair knocked on its side onto a sheet of sandpaper.

The ghost-like outline of the chair speaks of an absence, documenting the 'memory' of where the chair lay. Much like our actual memories, this imprint is subject to change: vulnerable and easily manipulated.

The title of the work personifies the furniture. It is taken from the idea of the chair having been left for years collecting dust and then roughly stripped down with the sandpaper.

 

Photos: Rona Smith and Jack Lewis

Rudely Awoken was exhibited in Artsway's open submission Open07 and was shortlisted for the prize of a solo show.