Forgotten and Remembered- New Plexiglass Artwork

Lately I have been really inspired by Rauschenberg. There is something about his work which really excites me, the way he uses common objects, the way he screen prints on Perspex. His ability to transform images into anything he likes, whether the images become a sculpture, painting, print or a combination of them all. I love the fact that he was prolific and constantly pushing his images in new directions. 
There is just so much to extract from his work, so many ideas to explore. 
So because of this rediscovery I have been inspired to work with plexiglass once again. I love the material, it has allowed me to create so much depth, mood, atmosphere and suspense in my work. My latest piece 'Forgotten and Remembered' looks at images, some we can instantly recognize and others not. Images like the Virgin Mary will always be remembered generation after generation whereas the female figure on the left side is unknown and forgotten. I found her image on a tomb stone, there was no visible name to identify her and her grave had long been forgotten. 

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So I used a skeleton stencil, screen printed onto the plexiglass to represent the dead and forgotten image of the lady on the left side. I also faded the face a little to represent being forgotten. As compared to the image on the right which is in focus and you can clearly see all the facial and body features. She also has a heart screen printed on the front of the plexiglass symbolizing vitality and life. 
I decided to surround the artwork in barbed wire and tea candle roses which are handmade to tie the work together but also to go 'beyond' the boundary of the plexiglass. Overall I think this piece is pretty successful, it has certainly given me lots of ideas, and I hope it inspires some of you too! 

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