Welcome
to the Exhibition
"Persisting" Panic
Fear is an emotion everyone can understand, whether you are a young child or someone well into their nineties, and everyone in between. Some may choose to fight their fears, while others choose to run away. But what happens if that fear is something that everyone around you views as silly or shouldn't scare you?
Phobias are frequently seen as things that one shouldn't be afraid of. Children may giggle or tease a child still frightened by the sound of thunder. Parents may wonder when their child will "get over it". But what if that fear never goes away? What if the fear persists?
The word "persist" means "to continue firmly" or "to continue to exist". Panic implies a feeling of fear and anxiety. When phobias are at their worst, they can stop people from enjoying things that they like to do. A persisting phobia is a fear that doesn't seem to go away. It may seem that someone never can "get over it" or will feel this fear forever. It will continue for the rest of their lives.
This exhibition explores artists' phobias. Each artist has represented a fear that continues to persist with them. Some fear things that are out of their control, while others fear themselves and what they could become.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank all of the artists:
Anna Piper, Connor Westlake, Freddy Smith, Jeannine Palardy, Kathryn Zhang, Kellie Mattatall, Rachel Van Egmond, Robbie Simpson, Teagan Stewart and Trevor Westlake.
I would also like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Anne Koval.
- Alexis Westlake (Curator)