My project, (Un)filtered Acts, explores the paradoxical tension between smoking as both a symbol of rebellion and an abject, harmful reality. My feminist-oriented practice has long involved exploring the human body, now extending to a deep interest in smoking culture. As a non-smoker, I was initially detached from the subject, but became fascinated by the psychological complexity of smoking’s appeal, especially in youthful rebellion. I am inspired by vintage posters and magazines which are captivating in design, colour and fonts and are a stark contrast to contemporary adverts of smoking health risks due to laws and regulations promoting the dangerous and addictive habit. I’ve come to appreciate that smoking is a cultural phenomenon tied to nostalgia, power, and social identity. My artwork evokes different reactions based on viewers’ experiences with smoking. Non-smokers find it cool or perplexing, while smokers and ex-smokers reflect on their relationships with the act. Thus, I embrace both attraction and disgust in my work, inviting viewers to confront their perceptions of smoking. Additionally, I’ve gained insight into the role of advertising in shaping desires, and how visual art can challenge and recontextualise these narratives. I used mediums such as photography to document physical and cultural aspects of smoking, before translating them into either oil paintings or Texta drawings. This includes photographing burnt cigarettes in different contexts, capturing images of friends’ ashtrays, and how they hold their cigarettes, and photographing myself to provide a personal perspective.
Over the past few years, my artistic practice has centered on themes of youth and nostalgia, with a particular focus on the expressive qualities of hands. Through my work, I capture the intimate gestures and memories that hands embody, creating connections to the past and reflections on fleeting moments of youth.
