gwenda thompson marchesi

Gwenda draws her inspiration from fairytales, folklore and fables; in particular, the moralistic aspects of these stories, their symbolism, and the animal characters.
The animals are life sized in order to encourage the anthrozoological human-animal relationship that has existed universally for thousands of years. Although perhaps cuddly, comic and appealing in their tactility, when the viewer investigates further, one will find a more sinister theme evolves.
The animals all share some form of negative emotional portrayal in their posture and expression. Feelings of fear, resentment, exhaustion, sadness, resignation and doubt have all appeared in Gwenda`s works. Interestingly, fairytales have been found to offer reassurance to children on an unconscious level by appealing to the id and the ego. As Bruno Bettelheim discusses in “The Uses of Enchantment; The Meaning and Importance of Fairytales” – They speak about his severe inner pressures in a way that the child unconsciously understands, and – offer examples of both temporary and permanent solutions to pressing difficulties.
Along with fairytales, one of the peculiarities of fables that fascinates me is the anthropomorphisation of the animals. Animals are a popular subject matter across the arts, but I have found with my sculptures that the viewer engages even more with something that exudes a subtle human quality. This is a technique used often in fairytales, such as “Little Red Riding Hood” where the wolf dresses up in granny`s clothing, or where the animals have the power of speech in fables. Rendering the principal characters as animals with human attributes allowed the authors to bring those characteristics, and hence the moral warning they wanted to issue, into greater relief.
Mirrors and reflective surfaces have appeared in my work several times. They are commonly interpreted as symbols of self-discovery, self-knowledge, contemplation, and reflection. By showing the room reflected, and creating more space, it also suggests a passage to another world. The mirror is placed strategically so that when the viewer tries to get an impression of the work from the animal`s perspective, he finds himself reflected and therefore becomes a crucial part of the story and ultimately framed into the work itself.