Melanie Hain
Warners Bay High School
FRAGILITY
Ceramics
Earthenware paper clay, underglazes
Fragility is a tribute to my grandfather, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. It explores the complex and fragile state of the human mind, represented through the intricate form of entangled coils and precariously balanced brains in conjunction with a sense of leaching colour. My work expresses the sad reality of the effects of Alzheimer's, where the mind is slowly destroyed and only leaves a fragment of the person behind.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Jennifer McCurdy, David Chatt.
Marker's Commentary
Fragility explores the impact of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease in a complex tower of sculpted ceramic forms representing the brain and the “tentacles” of neurone disease connecting and strangling the brain. The towering form is reminiscent of the monster forms in Lee Bul’s work, both beautiful and menacing, commenting on the fear and threat that come with the onset of these conditions. The careful balance and the fragile complexity of the actual ceramic construction heightens this concept. The thoughtful and controlled use of softly applied colour in blush pink on the white clay body also creates a sense of exposure and vulnerability.
