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This work is based on the concept of the shadow archetype of the collective unconscious; characteristics that are associated with the human animal rather than the human being. With my work I aim to show the psychological state of mind when our shadow influences us, taking over the thoughts of the ego, in a physical form expressed through a forged steel exoskeleton.
The Shadow can be described as characteristics of yourself (or parts of your personality) that are rejected or suppressed by your ego throughout development, in order to become more accepted into the society / environment you live in. These characteristics can either be good or bad, however they are tossed away into your unconscious because they are not accepted or needed. When someone is not in tune with themselves or are not aware, these characteristics can influence us negatively, either leaching off our minds or overtaking our personas / ego without warning, in some cases, in fits of negative emotion.
This is often a difficult subject to address as “we step through the door of the shadow we discover with terror that we are the objects of unseen factors. To know this is decidedly unpleasant, for nothing is more disillusioning than the discovery of our own inadequacy” (C.G.Jung).
This collection of work has evolved through the making process in the forge. After initial sculptures exploring the influence of technology on humans, research into the collective unconscious led me to explore this further through the lens of psychology. In my work I seek to express what usually can’t be seen within a physical form with the intention of showing an unconscious takeover of the personas we put on by making an exoskeleton to look as if it is taking over the body.
