Ruby Daley
St Andrew's Cathedral School
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR NATURE, MAYBE I'VE BEEN GETTING YOU WRONG
Painting
Acrylic on wood, acrylic on polymer clay
The intention of my body of work was to invite the audience to love the unloved. It is a close study of types of life that are often misunderstood, and represents a counterargument to the categorisation of these aspects of the natural world as 'insignificant' and 'unfavoured'. I was inspired by the artist Annette Messager whose work examines the interplay between the human and the monstrous.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of Annette Messager, vintage insect posters, personal taxidermy insect collection.
Marker's Commentary
tell me about your nature, maybe I've been getting you wrong presents a sophisticated synthesis of material and conceptual practice, showcasing an exemplary mastery of realism and artistic technique. The body of work immediately engages the viewer’s fascination and relationship with the natural world, drawing the audience into a meticulously crafted menagerie of curiosities that prompts an appreciation for the often-overlooked details of macro life and nature.
A high level of technical precision is demonstrated through exquisite painting methods, utilising iridescent, jewel-like colours to render entomological specimens with rigorous scientific detail. The flat panel and relief work invite the viewer to participate in a simulated scientific investigation, where each unique feature and texture is illuminated, highlighting a refined and masterful material practice. Furthermore, the sculptural forms expand this investigation by manipulating scale, introducing a Surrealist sensibility that prioritises imagination and irrationality over strict realism. Caught in a deliberate tension, the work exposes dichotomies between reality and imagination, beauty and the grotesque, and the familiar and the uncanny. Ultimately, the success of this body of work lies in its ability to synthesise the demand for close inspection of intricate detail with the conceptual tension of scale, challenging the viewer to question whether the realities of nature are, in fact, more extraordinary than the imagined.