When was Simryn Gill born?
1959
Name two Simryn Gill artworks
‘Roadkill’ and ‘Forking tongues’
When was ‘Roadkill’ displayed?
1999-2000
When was ‘Forking tongues’ displayed?
1992
Describe the features of ‘Roadkill’
Found run-over objects on wheels, such as combs, crushed cans, and children’s toys
Describe the features of ‘Forking tongues’
EPNS (electroplated nickel silver) cutlery and chilli in a large spiral on the floor
What do most of Simryn Gill’s artworks focus on?
Migration, identity, history, Indigenousness, and colonialism - she is a Singaporean immigrant
What are the main themes in ‘Roadkill’?
Migration and identity
What do the discarded found materials in ‘Roadkill’ represent?
- They have been given a second chance and are now the main focus
- Indigenous communities have been ‘discarded’ and mistreated by governments
- now being brought into the spotlight to be used as political fuel
What do the wheels on the objects in ‘Roadkill’ imply?
- movement
- bring use/function to new place
- immigrants bringing skills
What does turning the objects in ‘Roadkill’ into mini cars represent?
- ironic - cars destroyed the objects
- pressure on Indigenous communities to assimilate
- Western civilsation stripped rights and culture
What is the main theme in ‘Forking tongues’?
Effects of colonialism in South Asia
What does the EPNS cutlery represent in ‘Forking tongues’?
- widely used by British colonies incl. South Asia
- what is common ≠ Indigenous
What does the use of chilli in ‘Forking tongues’ represent?
- from South America
- introduced to South Asia
- chilli is so commonly used in food it gets mistaken for being native
- if enough people accept something as part of culture, does it make it native?
What does the open-ended spiral in ‘Forking tongues’ represent?
- implies possibility for addition/cultural amalgamation
- cultural mixing is not unwelcome
- important to recognise Indigenous vs introduced
