Graduate Exhibition

Monique Bedwell’s practice responds to issues of overconsumption and consumerism as a growing concern for contemporary society. Despite the often brutal realities of these issues, she addresses each concern with an element of playfulness by utilising adaptive, relatable and visually engaging canvases for her work. For these canvases, Monique has collected detritus and then used techniques that vary from painting, photography and sculpture to alter the waste objects from the original state in which they were found. This combination of processes requiring Monique to intricately work with found objects and incorporate mixed media methodologies, allowed her to develop a found-object installation which comments on the detachment and negligence Monique perceives individuals experience when littering. The physical act of collecting, documenting, painting on, and sculpting the found materials subverts the devastating impact these items could have on the environment, and reinforces the non-biodegradable status of her chosen canvases.