Elizabeth Waggett
Eminently modern and free spirited Elizabeth's artwork focuses on the confusion of today's modern society. She challenges the viewer to confront the relationship between humanity’s preconceived notions of value and worth, in our consumable world. The Gold Standard, which has been used for centuries, is a perfect representation of humanity’s obsession with vain and valueless beauty.
Using time honored skills in a contemporary way, Elizabeth brings a modern twist to traditional forms through her work. Her social commentary, seeks to illuminate the arbitrary value we place on useless and culturally devoid items, while simultaneously devaluing those things with innate value. She pokes fun at mans obsessive quest to to obtain more and more while we are living, ignoring the purpose of our lives. From this Elizabeth questions the arbitrary prioritization of Earth’s most precious assets, questioning the relationships, behaviors and patterns of humanity. Many of us remain divorced of direct responsibility for the destruction of our planet’s invaluable resources, often taking the word of the media, politicians, religious leaders and CEOs at face value.
Using the subject the natural world as her muse and choosing perhaps surprising creatures, Elizabeth exposes the responsibility of the individual in owning the effects of their decisions. Adorning each piece with gold leaf and precious metal, the dichotomy of the monochromatic pallet against the gold is a visual representation of the struggle of the inner self to balance greed and purpose.
She draws inspiration from her international background with her work being dominated by the discordant relationship between true value and worth. Having lived all over the world in some of the most diverse and contrasting cities, she is fascinated by the stark comparison of perceived success, and draws on this international experience to narrate her work.