Helen Snell

Experimental installation based work, derived by exploring the possibilities of laser cutting and screenprinting on cardboard. One of my current preoccupations is the exploration the concept of the 'imperfect edition'. 'The Last Resort' is a series of black and cardboard island structures that are distributed across the floor of the gallery space in a variety of configurations. These islands are be notional, symbolic, hence monochrome. The sizes or these islands are variable but roughly waist height from the floor, getting smaller into the distance to give an exaggerated sense of perspective. A sense of the world getting smaller as we, as a race, get larger. Dislocation of space and scale to create disorientation. Vestiges of land after the floods, irradiated tropical paradises after the nuclear blast, rubbish tips, exclusive beaches hemmed in by barrages of mineral water bottles, refuges for refugees. Each island occupies its own space on the floor, its own identity. In Jungian analysis the island is seen as the unconscious mind , the ego or self. The last resort. The viewer creates an itinerary/odyssey by moving through the space, taking on the role of explorer, tourist, developer, castaway, noble savage, prospector or pirate. The island is surrounded by elemental forces. It is a place of transformative power, a refuge, a sanctuary, a prison, a treasure trove to be plundered, a social laboratory.