The Best Defense

Kelly Kirkham

July 12 - August 25, 2019

Artist Kelly Kirkham originally from Chatham, now based in Port Hope, constructs whimsical sculptures and installations based on futuristic hybridized creatures. In The Best Defense, Kirkham narrows her focus to the themes of ornamentation, distraction, anonymity, dependency, and aggression. This exhibition of new 2D and 3D works was made in an ongoing exploration of the ways in which we protect ourselves, and are given protection from others. Kirkham combines hard edge with soft, pale colour and saturated and expressive line work with fine detail as she asks the pertinent questions, “how are we protected and cared for in our society, and when does that cross the line into suppression and control by other people?”

The puppets displayed are an expression of this train of thought. Puppets distract, and do and say things we are not normally free to do and say. Most often they are seen as entertainment, but when looked at through the lens of protection, there is much food for thought there.