Speed, Agreed, Lead, Concede ; Earthward, Skyward, Homeward ; Fetch, Snatch, Stretch, Catch ; Fun Run, Dry Run ; Ride Tried, Upside, Implied ; Zoom, Consume, Boom

These six miniature sculptures featured in the exhibition, Story, held at the Lewers Learning Centre, 25 May - 15 September 2013. Story explored how a maverick group of contemporary artists use art materials and surprising objects in whimsical and ingenious ways to create theatrical scenes, quirky characters and artwork loaded with narrative potential. Kendal Murray was told by a teacher, as a nine year old, that she had a tendency to daydream and in her words she has been trying to live that down ever since. Humour plays an important part in her art practice where she creates miniature, parallel worlds, tiny snapshots inspired by dream states. In these works, she uses found objects like tea pots, compacts and grass covered purses as the setting for her tiny characters, to play out everyday activities with an odd twist. For example, in a mirrored compact we find shoppers involved in a shopping trolley race; and on a grass covered purse we see a marathon runner totally unaware that he is being followed by a small flock of sheep. On another purse which takes the form of a parkland setting, a small crowd is divided as to whether a young boy in the upper most branches of a tree should save the pet cat, or maybe the lost balloons. Which would you choose? Details of Kendal Murray's sculptures: Speed, Agreed, Lead, Concede (2011) ; Earthward, Skyward, Homeward (2011): 21 x 26 x 16 cm ; Fetch, Snatch, Stretch, Catch (2011): 12 x 11 x 12 cm ; Fun Run, Dry Run (2012): 6 x 10 x 10 cm ; Ride Tide, Upside, Implied (2011): 5.5 x 5 x 7 cm ; Zoom, Consume, Boom (2011)