Hattie Stevens

The inspiration for these works was originally drawn from online video compilations of gymnasts’ “fails” from which I then examined both the extreme states of the human body and the comedic elements of the physical fall. The figures, now taken further, fit more comfortably within a strange dreamscape or hallucination due to my interest in surrealism and philosophical studies of perceived reality. As I explore the human condition, I consider alternative versions of truth, accentuating known attributes of the world such as gravity and human anatomy. With these ideas in mind, I borrow the surrealist method of automatism in my process and play with form, colour, and spatial materials to make new forms or transform the functionality of other found, domestic objects. I aim for an uncanny balance between childlike and creepy, pop and muted, domestic and industrial, leaving the viewer feeling unsettled. I want to create the experience of viewing my work as one of both simultaneous pleasure and discomfort.