Exit to the left - Amy Hamilton

University of Southampton
Oil and Acrylic on Wood
 
This piece is part of a larger body of work titled After the Spectacle which uses the fairground as a backdrop to explore the decay of places people once treasured. Exit to the left uses the motif of the carousel horse - a globally recognisable icon of the fairground - to highlight the quiet deterioration of these structures as they sit stagnant, letting time and nature transform them. Instead of viewing this decay as something negative, I see it signifying a shift in purpose; offering the chance to reflect on the impermanence of man-made spaces.
So many of us have childhood memories from fairgrounds or theme parks. This collective memory is at the forefront of my work as I contrast the happy memories with showing the wear and tear of these rides; chipped paint, rust, sun-bleached scratched seats, inviting feelings of sadness towards their current unmaintained state.