Commissioned by the Brisbane City Council for the ‘Vibrant Laneways’ program. Curated by Creative Move.

Statement:

The pain of others is amusing. This is encapsulated by the German term Schadenfreude, which translates to ‘harm-joy’. In English it is better known as ‘slapstick’. Two ways to view this phenomenon are that humans are innately cruel, or that we instinctively make light of misfortune to make it more bearable. My work is inspired by the absurd contradictions of human existence. In this series slapstick acts are repeatedly performed on the self to exaggerate their violent capacity for humour and highlight the coexistence of these two seemingly distinct ideas. It was quite painful. I hope you enjoy it.