Jess Taylor, “Child’s Play”
5 – 28 Feburary 2016
Jess Taylor’s work focuses on representations of violence, their real-world ramifications, and the ways in which they can fall short of or exceed reality. She is interested in the fallibility of the mind, the tricks that film and image employ to make us suspend belief, the way we choose to interact with violent material and our capacity for fantasy and make-believe.
In Child’s Play, Taylor explores the childishness of violent impulses and the violent impulses of childhood, embracing the more juvenile aspects her work to date and of the kinds of violent material she is drawn to. Drawing on memories of teenage sleep-overs watching slasher films and the allure of something scary, as well as her observations on how common the theme of violence is in children’s games, these new works explore the intermingling of violence and play. The works are exercises in the collision of ill intent with the absurd, impotent or humorous, offering the viewer the opportunity to reflect on their own subjective response to represented violence. Can violence be represented in a way which is palatable, or enjoyable? Are we morally free to enjoy something descended from suffering? In reality, Child’s Play is quite benign; it is the fantasy that is something darker, and it is up to the viewer to decide which takes precedence.
Sponsored by Adelaide City Council.
Opening night wine is provided by Coriole Vineyards.
