Emily Kelly

Fond Words Wrapped Around Unpleasant Memories (2023)

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Ball of green acrylic yarn and upright bamboo stick on grey floor, leading up off the top of the image

artist statement

my practice and research explores the abstracted ways in which one experiences (or attempts to experience) childish and uninhibited inquisitiveness in the world around them when one is, in fact, inhibited, jaded and confused - with this not just happening through childhood, but following many of us into adulthood as well. i try to communicate this often nonsensical and unending process of feeling through mixed media expressing the push and pull, hard and soft, confusing yet enlightening, bittersweet. whilst wildly personal, this feeling is not unique and is malleable to any and all, and so i call to materials of familiarity - comfort and danger - and imagery both soft and vulgar.

fond words wrapped around unpleasant memories (2023)

Wood canvas frame with two layers of chicken wire stretched over it. Between the two layers, two pink acrylic yarn worms are sat, and just tied to the first layer of chicken wire just under the right-side worm is a purple satin-y ribbon tied in a bow.

Flat chicken wire rectangle on black wall. Artificial grass squares sit in the middle of the chicken wire rectangle. On top of the artificial grass, two chicken wire worm frame sit, protruding out from the flat wall. In the artificial grass is a large steel fishhook with a pink acrylic yarn thread wrapped around the hook-end.

Wood canvas with chicken wire stretched over it, on a black wall. A long dark brown acrylic yarn tube with holes knitted into it is stretched and snagged on the chicken wire. Pink acrylic yarn worms are woven in through the holes, protruding the dark brown knit work.

Rectangle of chicken wire flat against a black wall. A long light blue mottled knitted tube is snagged on the sharp chicken wire. Through the holes knitted into the tube, pink acrylic yarn worms are woven in and out, protruding the blue knit tube.

Plywood board on black wall. The board has green knitted tube stretched over it with holes knitted into it with a pink acrylic yarn worm bending through the holes.

Installation view of a bamboo and green acrylic yarn piece (floor piece), and two yarn sculptural works installed on a black wall.

Steel rectangular frame on black wall. From the top of the frame, hangs three oversized steel fishhooks at the end of acrylic yarn. On the left hook hangs a pink acrylic yarn worm curved up on itself; in the middle is a chevron-patterned friendship bracelet in pink, green, white embroidery thread that hangs far below the bottom of the steel frame towards the floor; and on the right, green acrylic yarn is wrapped around the bottom of the frame and up around the curve of the hook in a triangular tension shape

Bright silver hoop on a black wall. In the middle of the hoop is an unfinished pink-ish-red knitted band, and from five groups of grouped stitches, a green acrylic yarn thread attaches/stretches it to the outside of the hoop. Two green yarn worms sit inside the pink-ish-red band.

Round steel frame on a black wall. In the middle is an unfinished pink-ish-red knitted tube/band. From each unfinished stitch of the band, green acrylic yarn is threaded through, attached to the outside of the frame and tied to it with a bow. There are around 20 of these threads tied in a bow around the outside of the frame - each of which dangles down and sag. A pink acrylic yarn worm peaks through the pink-ish red band in the middle and comes through the back of the piece and back out the front.

Steel rectangular frame in portrait orientation against a black wall with light blue knitted tubed stretched over. The blue tube has holes knitted into it, through which a pink acrylic yarn worm, and a chicken wire worm frame, are placed. The chicken wire worm frame has a pink satin-y bow tied around its ‘neck’ and there is some pink acrylic yarn tied in a bow along the top of the frame pulling some of the blue knit tube upwards.

Light wooden pallet on black wall; pink acrylic yarn worm hung on bottom right corner of pallet

a few pieces across this website were not included in my final hang for the degree show - like this one - however i’d like for them to be seen in the context in which they were originally imagined <3