The Stuff Of Nightmares

Continuing with the nightmare theme from the last post this is an exhibition from the V&A Childhood Museum in London. It is on until February and is really worth a visit as it feels like a raw and expressive exhibition, very far away from the polished and carefully planned exhibitions usually put on.


This instillation was made by local schoolchildren working with artists to recreate things they have seen in nightmares. It takes a closer look at the playthings of innocents.
The imagery was very strong and it messed around with innocent looking toys that were made harrowing by the surrounding scene and the context they were placed in. The children and artists played with scale, theme and textures.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/71358-small.jpg

 Imagery taken from a Brother Grimm fairytale

 Terrifying human bunny

Love the fragile and virginal white crochet blanket with the contrast of the dirty back drop.

 Mish mash of themes and objects, animals with creepy doll heads

 Birds were constant throughout the exhibition along with long noses which are often prevalent in scary stories and fairy tales representing evil

When walking around the instillation it felt like you were in a hallucinogenic state as there were bright colours and toys that had their heads replaced with dolls heads and toys that only had one leg.  

 The overall exhibition

Toys in a line up that had been created by the kids to have scary legs and faces

The exhibition also said that it is good to tell children these tales in order to prepare them for the real world and to teach them right and wrong and what is dangerous. I think it was a very effective exhibition and it helped the children to put their fears into 3D form and to face up-to them and realise they are not as scary as they first thought. 

For more information visit: www.vam.ac.uk/moc/whats_on/exhibitions_and_displays/the_stuff_of_nightmares/