May 2005: Kim Hamblin Mixed Medium

Kim Hamblin's wall art is a unique mixture of materials.  Paper, paint, metal and lot's of nails.  In fact one piece alone has over 1000 small nails hammered into it.  The nails not only hold down painted paper cutouts, but also form designs within the piece.  In "Dainty Daisy" a woman is pictured smelling a bouquet of daisies.  A large nail outline of a daisy is superimposed over her face. Hamblin calls this technique embroidering with nails.  The show's theme concerns an ironic and sarcastic view of women as seen through the eyes of the media and society. She views the dichotomy of woman as both soft and hard, as evidenced in her choice of materials.  "I am fascinated with the material aspects of womanhood; the way in which our bodies effect our sense of self and how our bodies are both connected to, and yet distinct from, our minds."