Headlines and stories

When I was brainstorming things to symbolise the children I used foot prints, shadows, empty shoes. These sketches represent the children who have had their childhood stolen from them, being forced to become child soldiers, child brides, child prostitutes, child labourers and those who have been lost to abuse and neglect.

These are preparatory sketches for my prints and composition planning.

I collaged obituaries under the print to dramatise the theme of death. The prints alone just look like a pattern they aren't too literal. I wanted to subtly collage these little morbid notes under the print so where there was not any ink, the notices were revealed a little.

When the 'beauty/art' is stripped away the true message can be conveyed. Somewhat like headlines and stories in today's news, the glamorized tabloids are more colourful and in your face but when you look past the useless pretty stuff there's more important news. Alot of people today focus on the meaningless news and the superficial in's and out's of the world and ignore the things in the news that make them flinch; murder, prostitution, rape, genocide, war, poverty...

 In some of the other prints, like the obituaries, I collaged little extracts from found articles, there subtly placed along the border but once printed, these words are stripped away because of the difference in paper colour.

 When you strip away the frills there's usually something ugly underneath. In mys ketchbook a lot of my drawings were covered over with newsprint, tracing paper and baking sheets to dramatise the notion of hiding the truth; layered over and forgotten about, like alot of children in the world, lost in the system, brought to war, sold to old men, working day till night to make the clothes you wear.




 These children are forgotten, no one is by their side to stand up for them and their rights.