Karen Coull

Sydney 1961 - currently living and working in Paris, France.

Sweet Dreams.

The original concept of the work I envisaged it as a small story via my experience of sleeping (and subsequently dreaming) during and after my illness. I dispute the notion that the personal and private in art making is self seeking and unworthy, instead I diffidently used this narrative to begin the art making process.

The use of the pillows, to me represent the sleep or the scarcity of sleep and the desire and inability for even a flawed or defective sleep. In contrast of the ordered and pure whiteness of the pillows my use of the pins represents a very uncomfortable respite and would ensure no sleep would be had. (This follows on from my previous use of thorns on domestic items - pillows, scrubbing brushes, brooms and gloves). The process of placing the pins in the pillows a very repetitive, perhaps even domestic process?

I have chosen text as a means of communication and interaction. The text represents a visual imagery as well as an intellectual connection with text that the language entails. Some viewers may respond to the visual aspects of the text as well as to the overall greater body of work.