Gallery 2

Protector

Shannon Toth

@shannon__toth | shannontoth.net

Roomsheet

Food is a simple need for the body, eating is complex. Protector explores the sticky dynamics between food and self, and how these relations manifest as embodied experiences. Food can bring people together, soothe, comfort and celebrate, but it can also set the table for an inner battle.

In this exhibition, Shannon uses marshmallow to create a large folded object and binds together a curved pine structure. The marshmallow appears to be pillowy and soft like a doona or blanket but is also pliable and plump-like flesh. The folded form of the object suggests domesticity like it belongs in the linen cupboard.

The curved pine structure has the dimensions of a single bed frame, yet it’s warped and balances precariously on a curved edge, rocking like a baby’s cradle - but for an adult body. While a child is nursed and comforted by a rocking motion, the same action in an adult-sized bed suggests a sexual act.

It is absurd to rely on marshmallow for a blanket and a distorted rocking bed for comfort and protection, but if it’s all you’ve got then it’s a perfectly viable adaptation.