The Games We Play

I have created a series of life-size suspended torsos.
Although my work is always figurative. I often use symbolic icons in my work.
In these torsos, I make exclusive use of my symbolic iconography to make up the form of the torsos themselves.  
The torsos have symbolic & metaphoric value; they also ‘embody’ the interaction between sculptor and model.
The moulding process is an art requiring multiple steps. It involves working from positive to negative to positive and then back to negative repeatedly (7 moulds in all) to achieve the final result.

The individual threads, chameleons, paper dolls, tree frogs and jig-saw pieces, although fragile and vulnerable as individual pieces, possess a calming strength in the ‘exoskeleton’ that they create when linked together – so it is with the individual.
The torsos hint at transformation, overcoming fears, adaptation, and transcending from one state (whether physical or metaphysical) to another.
In all of the works, fragility, risk & vulnerability compete with strength & tenacity, attempting to find an equilibrium

As with all my works, the title is taken from poetry I have written and etched into the piece itself.

To date, I have created 5 pieces in the series, and 'The Games We Play' is one of them.

The Games We Play – made up entirely of puzzle pieces.
It may take a lifetime to fit the puzzle pieces together of ourselves and others. There may be gaps that we never find the correct piece/individual/profession. Yet it is enough to make up the whole. We are enough.
We cover ourselves with armour and endeavor to only show the parts we want to. It’s a game that some are more successful at than others. I think one’s true character shows through despite the games we play.