Artwork paragraphs

FIONA HALL (Scar Tissue)

Materials and production methods

“Scar Tissue,” by Fiona Hall is an installation based on the effects of war. The artwork is placed in a vitrine to probably suggest confinement. Hall had used materials such as fishing line, videotape and tape boxes to create her artwork. With the war movies videotape, Hall had knitted realistic limbs and children’s toys etc. By choosing to use war tapes in particular, Hall’s response to the war situation is cleverly conveyed. These objects are suspended in the vitrine, as though they have been cut off. This was done to make the audience aware of the harmful effects that war has on both adults and children. Furthermore, the tape had also made the artwork quite bleak, representing the war theme.


ROSALIE GASCOIGNE (Metropolis)

Materials and production methods

Rosalie Gascoigne’s artwork, “Metropolis” (1999), is a composition made out of retro reflective road signs on wood. It is a fairly large piece of work, measuring 232x319.5cm. Gascoigne had used every materials in her artwork, cut them up, and then rearranged them to form a unique and energetic piece of work. As Gascoigne was a landscape artist, she had found her materials from the natural environment and then arranged her materials to reflect the place. In “Metropolis,” each road sign overlaps another, creating a sense of chaos and confusion. When we look at the work, it is quite meaningless, as the words from the road signs do not form easily recognized phrases. Nevertheless, Gascoigne’s choice of found materials clearly reflects her artistic practice, giving us a deeper understanding of her environmentally based approach.