ADVENTurous is an open submission exhibition exploring the christmas narrative, which we're staging in 3 UK venues during advent this year : at Engedi in Colwyn Bay, Leftbank in Leeds and the Union Chapel in Islington, London.

The work exhibited at Union Chapel will also be part of the one-day ‘ADVENTurous' conference, hosted by Greenbelt Festival and partners.

On this blog we'll be posting regular updates about how plans for the Leftbank Leeds show are progressing, with information about the contributing artists, and possibly some previews of the work being created for the exhibition...


Monday, December 10, 2012

'Surprise!' by Sally Owens



I am interested in universality and origins; the chaos and harmony that is life; the layers of reality
that we perceive.  I am motivated by manipulating order from chaos, and use form and shape
as a statement.

Elizabeth's is the story of modern women, in a nutshell. 
Elizabeth represents the desperation of women who can't have children. She is described as
“barren”. In many cultures that is a stigma, and women still search for cures; in some parts, they
are abandoned by their husbands. Then, she had to accept her fate, but today she would have
IVF treatment.

Elizabeth represents the trepidation of women: both dreading and embracing impending
motherhood. I imagined what she would feel like as a “very old” woman suddenly faced with
pregnancy and birth.  In those days infant mortality was high, as was maternal death.
Still is, in many parts of the world. 

Elizabeth represents the elation of discovering being pregnant. After all those years of hoping each
month, to be given a chance so late in life must have been absolutely joyful.

So finally, I imagined her opening her birthday cards and getting the totally
unexpected message inside.

Mixed media.
£60




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