Wednesday, October 19, 2011

And then there's Debbie Harman


As I said in the previous post I find enjoyment in a wide range of ceramics. I don't think Deb would mind if I said I like her work because it's a little bit... bent. Well a lot bent really. Debbie's ceramics are currently showcased in Small Pieces under the title FOMA (Fear Of Missing Out). Great title.


In her own words " fear of missing out affects many aspects of our lives, how we dress, what we say, who we hang out with. What sort of house we buy, our penchant for new furniture and the latest fashion. How we search for that one special person, trawling the internet or scouring darkened nightclubs. This fear of missing out is even more amplified in lives of adolescents as they navigate the school cliques, the bullies and the moraes of social networking."

The bright colours and fanciful characters initially appear fun and frivolous but as you zoom in on details you become rapidly aware of a dark undercurrent. 

The pair on the right are titled Housing Commission Couple

Alice and Window Eyed Rabbit

Debbie uses Alice as a metaphor for the adolescent experience and small sculptural arrangements capture the essence of teenage isolation and angst.

The central figure is titled Pissed Off Alice

The work is really raw, rough and emotional. It captures that surreal, disproportionate, confused exuberance of adolescence, sometimes with subtlety, often with humour and occasionally with as much aplomb as a blundering teenager..


You can see more images, including illustrations in acrylics and oils, on Debbie's blog

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