Surreemism

SURREEMISM, is a collection of works by Harriet Muller produced for an exhibition curated by Toby Mott.

SURREEMISM (“reem” an Essex neologism meaning “good-looking” or “sexy”) is an exploration of the way women are portrayed in celebrity culture, concentrating on the model and reality TV star, Amy Childs, during her time on Celebrity Big Brother. Muller is concerned with the objectification of women in the media and the subsequent loss of identity. She is interested in how certain female celebrities are packaged, branded and to some extent exploited to satiate the public’s voyeuristic hunger. On the surface, Childs appears to be the epitome of female celebrity; famous for appearing on a reality TV show and physically conforming to the standard mould of glamour girl aesthetic: big hair, fake tan and artificially enhanced cleavage. Through this collection, Muller has sought to show that there is more to Childs than meets the eye, paying particular attention to her vulnerability and childlike character trapped inside a highly sexualized body. Moments of anger, anxiety, rumination and joy are captured in this series of drawings executed with a bamboo pen dipped in ink, painted using nail varnish and adorned with diamond dust in honour of Childs’ trademark “vajazzle”. The glossy, brightly coloured veneer of the nail polish and the dazzle of the diamond dust contrast with the gritty, scratchy and unpredictable lines underneath made by the reed pen and are used as a metaphor of modern celebrity culture.

The exhibition was curated by British artist, TOBY MOTT. He says of Harriet’s work, “Muller’s drawing places us into private moments, as voyeurs we view Childs, her cool detached sensual self, revealing her childlike detachment and purity of being.”