Conceptually driven, A Series of Predicted Events and Peculiar Statements (2017), draws inspiration from cassette and digital recordings of psychic readings held between 1993 and 2013. The works in this series offer allegorical interpretations of accurate predictions that came to fruition and statements that resonated with me. Highlighted predictions mark significant turning points in my life, while the statements are either reassurances or issues I struggled to comprehend. As a result, the work is autobiographical in nature and depicts real-life circumstances. Apart from highlighting the accuracy of messages, the objective is to emphasise—through personal experience—life’s unexpected turns: even though the outcomes were foretold, they were still not anticipated.
Steeped in symbolism, the clusters of gem-like motifs represent the continuous movement of life, while the three doors opened-doors and miniature figure within the shapes denote a departure into a new and unknown phase. Some images draw on irony while others are a literal interpretation of a prediction or statement. The colour combination is used to relieve the seriousness of the events and statements and to demonstrate the positive transformation that followed each experience. Overall, the series invites the viewer to reflect on their life sequences and to consider whether some aspects of our lives are pre-determined or simply a creation of our own making.
Artworld Studio Gallery, Brisbane – http://www.artworld-studio.com
Image: Julie Rees, I told him to get on his bike; he didn’t so I did, archival print face mounted to acrylic, 60 x 60cm, 2017.
