CONTAGION POPPETS

2005

Contagion Poppets is a body of work exploring the spiritual taboos and affective charge of contagion magic through the construction of organic “poppets.” Assembled from human hair, animal remains, bone, textiles, and found materials, these figures draw on traditions of folk charms, where objects become imbued with intention, influence, and symbolic power.

With concepts of contagion, contact transfers essence, triggering anxieties surrounding disembodied matter. Hair, carcass, and organic refuse are reconstituted into new bodies, amplifying their presence and unsettling psychic structures of safety. Through loose, intuitive processes of making, the poppets materialize as both protective and potentially sinister forms, inviting the viewer into a space of ambiguity shaped by fear, fascination, and belief. They expose persistent undercurrents of superstition and paranoia, even within ostensibly rational frameworks, and compel a confrontation with the cultural and psychological boundaries surrounding corporeality and spirit.

Approximately 75 poppets were created, the majority of which are now held in private collections. Selected exhibitions and publications include at Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre (Mer/Mère, with Janice Wright Cheney, Denise Richard, and Linda Brine); George Fry Gallery (Beautiful/Grotesque, inaugural solo exhibition); and Struts Gallery (The Sweetest Little Thing). The work was also published in ellipse Magazine, Green Banana (Humber College), and HereNB magazine.

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Materials: Found/mixed media, including animal carcass, bone, human hair, various fabrics and twine, beeswax, vintage textiles, miscellaneous refuse, and antique objects