Take a Seat - Mandy Dollery

About Mandy Dollery

It was my mums comment upon seeing a recent painting of mine ‘you’ve always loved chairs, haven’t you?’ that made me think back to all the chairs I‘ve painted and sketched, made, and even collected off the side of the road. Wow, she’s right, I do love chairs!

Her comment made me reflect on the reason why I have always been attracted to chairs. It’s largely because I love their distinct physical forms and visible histories. They make me think about who might have owned them before, and what their story was. Could they represent someone who has now gone, a way of holding space for someone who is no longer there, or expecting to return?

I have had such an enjoyable time exploring many different mediums - from cyanotype to ceramics - pushing my creative boundaries, and seeing these chairs develop a personality of their own. I even purchased a sewing machine so I could attempt textile art, even though I had no idea how to use it and have never taken an interest in sewing before. The saying ‘a Jack of all trades, master of none ... but oftentimes better than a master of one’ comes to mind.

So thank you mum for inspiring me to have this exhibition ‘Take a Seat’ which has inadvertently resulted in taking me out of my comfort zone and opening up so many more possibilities in my
art practice.