Susan Norrie
Behind the Scenes Unmasked
gouache on paper
signed, dated and titled 'Susan Norrie/2022/Behind the/Scenes/Unmasked' (on the reverse)
29.5 x 42 cm (sheet); 38.5 x 50.6 cm (frame)
Price on Application
Provenance:
The artist
When I am confronted by human suffering, I often escape into the world of make believe.
Recently, I’ve found myself returning to the world of Disney and have become fascinated with a series of photographs taken behind the scenes at Disneyland from the 1960s: especially those images of employees abandoning their props, taking off their masks, costumes and suits… the moment between being ‘in character’ and stepping away from fantasy and back into the mundane everyday world.
Today, Disney is a massive corporation. Its worldwide entertainment business – from theme parks, movies to broadcast media – plays upon and exploits the human need to escape a world of despair made more confronting by war, man-made and natural disasters, and challenging socio-political circumstances. Disneyland maybe an enchanting, fun and wondrous place to visit, but equally it is a sombre reflection upon the fragility of the human condition.
Susan Norrie
June 2022
