Marion Adnams’ reimagining of a fashionable paper mannequin in a dreamlike landscape has a clear visual connection with the constructed spectacle of fashion display, and resonated with my own interest in subverting fashion and beauty advertising through collage. My piece employs vibrant colours, synchronised movement and unexpected combinations of the alluring and elements of the absurd to evoke a sense of dislocation, mirroring the feelings evoked by both Adnams’ surreal landscapes and the hyperreal aesthetics of advertising, in order to create a narrative that disrupts the subconscious desires and societal pressures that underpin our consumer culture.

The Perpetual Smile 2024

More information about the exhibition HERE