William Parker/ Shadows & Monsters

‘’My work begins with familiar objects — old hammers, nails, spanners, saws, and other things that have spent their lives in workshops. I am interested in what happens when these ordinary objects are removed from their practical roles and given new characters. A hammer can become a bully. Nails can become victims, or turn against the tool that once controlled them. Objects that were designed to be useful can take on relationships involving power, conflict, fear or revenge. There is often humour in my work, but I also enjoy the darker side of these stories. By giving familiar tools human characteristics, I can explore uncomfortable situations without making them literal. The objects become a way of looking at behaviour that we recognise in people — intimidation, abuse of power, vulnerability, resistance and revenge. My background as a carpenter influences the way I construct each piece. I use old tools, reclaimed timber, metal and found materials, allowing their marks, damage and previous lives to remain visible. I then change their relationships and context so that they become something unexpected. For me, the most interesting “monsters” are not necessarily creatures with claws or teeth. Sometimes they are familiar things behaving in unfamiliar ways. A tool can become threatening simply because we see it differently.’’