In Unison, Sophie Dixon, 2020
This piece is an observation of the nostalgia which we have for the plastic toys of our childhood. The flowers and plastic toys, placed in a specific order, symbolises the importance and care which a child will put towards these objects. The composition is mimicking the way a child sets up their own toys, with the "characters" as the main focus of the play.
In creating this piece, I was inspired by the animated film Yellow Submarine, the work of Hayao Miyazaki, family board games and children's books. I also referenced textile and quilt designs, like Merimekko. This piece is meant to be a protest as well as an observation about our psychology. Western culture often denies that our childhood attachments are related to global issues, like climate change and human rights. Although it is not up to the child to make this distinction themselves, it's important to be aware of how we tend to forgive many negative aspects of consumerism in order to preserve our "innocent" clinging to cheaply produced, non-sustainable products.