Iona Mackenzie

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

5

May 2022

5

May

2022

27

May 2022

Gallery 1

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

Iona Mackenzie

5

May 2022

5

May

2022

27

May 2022

Gallery 1

Splayed throughout the space like a child’s abandoned toys are remnants of Arthurian patriarchy; of knights, quests, and kings. They settle dejectedly into the floor, once cared for but now forgotten. Though it has no head to hold, a knight’s helmet lies on its side, as if decapitated. Made from paper mache as opposed to steel, its dysfunctionality elicits pathos, for it could never offer the protection it performs. Nearby is a crucifix cast in jelly wax, and while the erect cross once branded crusading knights with spiritual security, here it is pathetically flaccid. Similarly, a king’s crown wilts at the tips to form a jester’s hat. The thin, transparent facade of a castle playset sheepishly announces that as a defensive structure, it couldn’t possibly defend a thing. And, perhaps predictably, circling this rubble of romance are resin rats. Such naturals at spreading disease! Particularly of the ideological kind.

Exhibition documented by Aaron Rees.

Splayed throughout the space like a child’s abandoned toys are remnants of Arthurian patriarchy; of knights, quests, and kings. They settle dejectedly into the floor, once cared for but now forgotten. Though it has no head to hold, a knight’s helmet lies on its side, as if decapitated. Made from paper mache as opposed to steel, its dysfunctionality elicits pathos, for it could never offer the protection it performs. Nearby is a crucifix cast in jelly wax, and while the erect cross once branded crusading knights with spiritual security, here it is pathetically flaccid. Similarly, a king’s crown wilts at the tips to form a jester’s hat. The thin, transparent facade of a castle playset sheepishly announces that as a defensive structure, it couldn’t possibly defend a thing. And, perhaps predictably, circling this rubble of romance are resin rats. Such naturals at spreading disease! Particularly of the ideological kind.

Iona Mackenzie

Iona Mackenzie is interested in the theory that fictional stories contain and preserve non-fictional histories. In her practice, she considers the way that symbols act as surrogates for things that are often too difficult or complex to communicate explicitly. Consulting archeological objects and narratives, Iona examines this tendency to document our experiences by disguising them. As she exacavates the meaning(s) in anthropocentric artefacts, she encounters lessons in love and strife.