Carmen Garaghon

Fitzroy’s dolls are a sculptural re-working of scavenging, borne out of late night solitude and sewing as a remedy. Hidden away from public view a series of little freaks were created and have become an obsessive autobiographical project. Each doll is created using materials around the home or gathered in nature, found or stolen.

They hold intimate memories and her work has grown to become a kind of creative storehouse of objects that refer to personal memories or evoke events. Often gifts or commissions, Carmen sews with love and intention. “Each piece takes on its own personality and I hold the person I am making for in my mind, I guess they are a sort of blessing and the making process is as important to me as the finished product.”

Her dolls often reference the home; that intimate, private domestic space. The use of domestic materials, objects and traditional textile practices explore the idea of the ‘feminine’, whilst the creative process and assemblage have become a vehicle for artistic therapy and expression, helping to speak words hard to say, recover hope and smile.

So now a tension and contradiction emerges from the public display of such private concerns, but Fitzroy’s Art Dolls want to play…

http://www.carmengaraghon.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fitzroy-Art-Dolls/526227010754165

Deficient in the gene that codes for kindness, but keeps some in his bag – just in case.

Totally Snazzy… Strong like steel, fragile like a butterfly.

A little bit ‘special’, a lot nice… Fusses and worries.

Found alone and broken by that-big-log. Perry was made a little bed in the corner and loved till she felt better again.

Oh, he jumped so high and he clicked up his heels
He let go laugh and shook back his clothes all around.
Mr. Bojangles, dance.

A fierce feminist who doesn’t hate men… Apart from Kingsley from Gosport who she wrote to for a year, but he never wrote back.

Let love lift us up where we belong. It is important to stay close to your friends.

Gertie, the last free bird, lives inside her head cause it’s better there.

The god of wisdom and learning, and the remover of obstacles. Ganesh hosts a celebration of far-off lands, good family and friends and doing nice things.