When a toy is first given to a child it is only an object but as the child interacts with the toy the child projects a personality onto it. They share all their life experiences and emotions with the toy and it becomes a friend to them.
This series deals with the physical abandonment of these toys, whether intentional or not, and the emotional trauma that occurs as a result. The portraits of the toys, in frames like those of family portraits on the mantel at Grandma’s, signify the strong emotional bond between the child and the toy, these portraits are in a sense family snapshots. Each portrait will sit on a shelf surrounded by toys collected at thrift shops, toys that have also been abandoned. The toys have literally been put on a shelf and forgotten about.
The larger pieces of the toys alone in the world will be placed in between the shelves. They are disconnected from the child as they sit alone in indistinct environments free of people.
The naivety of the drawings mirrors the subjects. The perspective tilts and confuses the figure ground relationship much like the drawings of a child. The strong contour also mimics children’s drawing techniques but the composition and mark making bring interest to the drawings.
This work also deals with the loss of innocence as the toy, a source of joy and friendship suddenly transforms back into an inanimate object. The images are grayscale and appear harsh and threatening. They are urban landscapes and lack charm and softness. These are ordinary places that oppose the dreamland of the child the toy once lived in.
