Two Tears in a Bucket - Denise Pepper

Two Tears in a Bucket

(F@*k it). It must Stop

In creating a new body of work for this solo exhibition, Denise Pepper was galvanised by ideas and excited to be making again. The horrific domestic violence tragedy of a close family friend’s murder last year crashed into her thoughts just as she began to get the exhibition works underway. Her creative process was exacerbated by feelings of grief, horror and her proximity to this senseless crime. She found the process of making provided much-needed personal space to comprehend these intense emotions.

Two Tears in a Bucket seeks to amplify the voices of those affected by the rising tide of domestic violence. Pepper’s visual language uses a variety of mediums and techniques to shine light on the silence and complexity of domestic violence within the confines of society. Using the symbolism of flowers and the suggestive intrinsic language associated with them, Pepper weaves a narrative transcending botanical imagery to become petals of expression for her thoughts.

In researching the abundant floriography (language of flowers) used within societal Victorian England, Pepper found that a person could wear a specific colour or flower to convey coded communications, at a time when it was not considered ‘proper’ to speak your mind. Meanings have always been attributed to flowers and especially to represent emotions. Here Denise Pepper has purposely re-coloured and renamed the floral works to obscure their authenticity, allowing space to apply new meanings or traditions. Her fervent wish is that the artworks in Two Tears in a Bucket are symbolic beacons of hope for the many women lost in the unrelenting prevalence of domestic violence in Australia and beyond.

* ARTIST TALK - Join Denise Pepper in conversation about her incredible new body of work 'Two Tears in a Bucket' and the powerful themes underlying it 

SATURDAY 22 JUNE from 11am at Stala Contemporary gallery

11 Southport St, West Leederville. Everyone is welcome!*