Ruth Geldard

To Storify (detail) 2020

Inspiration for work comes from a love of fetishized objects, universally produced across ancient cultures, in the form of carved human figurines. These totemic objects, divorced from their original purpose and meaning, are necessarily viewed by successive civilisations through the cultural lens of their own time, creating fresh layers of altered meaning.

Focusing on this changing interpretation of the historical figurines, my work provides alternative totems for audience speculation and projection. By referencing the seductive aesthetics of the ancient world, but also adding elements of the modern, the work seeks to disrupt traditional gendered narratives.  

Each series employs a particular verb to locate and contain an idea within the work. The verb that engendered these pieces, also forms the title, To Storify.