May I just say that I feel so relaxed right now. I'm finally on holidays!
Seeing as I have so much time right now I went to see Claudia Phares' exhibition at Seventh Gallery in Fitzroy. I absolutely loved it! It is inspired by her experience living in Cleveland, Ohio at the same time as three women were rescued from the house of their kidnapper, Ariel Castro, after a ten year ordeal. Despite being a photographer, Claudia has stepped beyond her usual sphere and created a really meaningful installation. It comments on the feeling of isolation from different perspectives including her own of being a mother with a baby in a new place. She has recreated a model of the house in which the women were held for ten years. This is juxtaposed by a temporary wall and text referring to the proximity of prisoner to guard in jail. On the adjacent wall, text reveals details of the women's domestic imprisonment in Cleveland. This is brought together by a photo of her kitchen at the time. There are no blaring colours or distractions and the whole installation really clearly speaks of that isolation and feeling of imprisonment within a home.
I had a great chat with Claudia about these ideas and also others surrounding abuse and the way that we, as a country tend to deal with the effects of abuse but not the root issue.
If you work in the city or just want to venture in, I would highly recommend taking some time to pop down to Seventh Gallery to catch Family Fantasy while it shows. It is on until the 13th of June 2015.
I'm on holidays for three more days and then I start my placement at Cheltenham Secondary College. I'm so excited to finally get out there and teach the young people who will create our future.
Enjoy the last few hours of your long weekend Melbournites!
Peace out,
Renee Bell
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