St.John Fuller - ‘Stage Two : The Classroom’ 2023
St.John Fuller - ‘Stage Six : The Footpath’ 2023
‘Safe Spaces’
by St.John Fuller
27.04.23 - 08.06.23
The feeling of what constitutes a safe space is not universal.
The artist had been working on a project that took place in a “safe space”. This was supposed to be a refuge for the vulnerable, for those in need of a caring environment. Yet for much of his time there he did not feel safe. Physically he knew that he would come to no harm but his unease was the knowledge of the unprocessed violence that had happened there.
Imagine a space where a perpetrator is allowed to exist as simultaneously definitely guilty and completely innocent, depending on who you speak to. Sometimes those diametrically opposed states are put forward by a single party. High-stake accusations are made and then undermined by herd behaviours and “calls to forgive”. The result leads to further confusion and a breakdown in trust.
Our past experiences can mould how we feel about our present situations. Sometimes we may not understand why we feel good or bad in a space, but the feeling is there.
This exhibition encourages the viewer to explore their own stories of trauma and dis-ease through interacting with the individual stages presented by the artist on the gallery walls. In a safe space.
St.John Fuller - ‘Stage Four : The Kitchen’ 2023
St.John Fuller - ‘Stage Five : The See Saw’ 2023