2023
HELEN MILLAR
ARTIST STATEMENT
Tempus Fugit
My immediate response to the theme Tempus Fugit was imagining myself in a beautiful old Catholic church with its imagery, ritual, symbolism and ornamentation. I could imagine the mass conducted in Latin and smell the heady incense.
The images of angels were ever present, angels remind us that life is fleeting, everything is transitory. They are messengers of sacred mysteries, their feathered wings are associated with birds, taking me to flights of imagination. This linked perfectly with my ongoing interest in birds, religious imagery, antique dolls, period costume and stories from the past.
The works have been made from repurposed materials; paper, silk, linen, cotton and rescued embroidery from doilies. Papier-mâché is the main material used in the collection, individual components have been formed in moulds. It is a slow process but it is most satisfying to finally join all the pieces together and to indulge in my first love, painting, to bring everything to life.
The Mysteries
papier-mâché, fabric, embroidery threads, silkie bantam feather, glass, ceramic, acrylic paint
23 x 16 x 1 cm
The Seeker
papier-mâché, acrylic paint
16 x 16 x 1 cm
Angel Superiore
papier-mâché, partial bird skeleton, glass, acrylic paint
13 x 12 x 1 cm
Bird Angel
papier-mâche, acrylic paint
11 x 11 x 1 cm
Flora, Flight of Spring
silk, cotton, wool, rescued doily embroidery, backing, filling, acrylic paint
16 x 28 x 4 cm
Miss Winifred Austin Dressed in an Angel Costume 1909
papier-mâché, silk, cotton, wool, filling, acrylic paint
30 x 23 x 7 cm
Miss Irmina Paatsch Dressed in a Magpie Costume 1909
papier-mâché, cotton, felt, filling, acrylic paint
30 x 23 x 7 cm
Miss Mary Joyce Dressed in an Orange Bird Costume 1927
papier-mâché, silk, cotton, felt, rescued doily embroidery, glass, filling, acrylic paint
30 x 23 x 7 cm
THE DECEMBER GALLERY
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