Amber Stokie

ARE YOU AN ARTIST TWO?

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Amber Stokie 2018.

• Performed at Montsalvat Art Festival, September 2018 (click link to view performance)

• Performed at Wodonga Art Gallery, May, 2018. Supported by Geelong City Council, Arts and Culture. (image below)

Are you too? Are you two? This modest wall painting with corresponding digital projection not only ask a question but also provide an answer in the form of a statement. The question was generated from an activity where I asked my sister to write down questions that are often asked in relation to have a sister who looks identical. One of the question's she wrote was "Are you an artist too? (referring to me). I have used a play on words here and used TWO instead of TOO.  It was a moment where the truth of having someone else born at the same time, who looks the same, and all that carries with it, the comparisons, the replica, the idea that you are/should be the same as someone else, and if not? Who represents the ideal version? Why do I always have to be compared to another? 

Left hand represents me (I'm left handed) and the right represent my sister who is right handed.

Both modes of writing, left and right handed were difficult however after only a couple of attempts I found the writing became quite easy. They supported each other in making the other more coherent.