For More is More,Melbourne artist Tai Snaith presents two series of 3 separate framed collage works which playfully look at different aspects of the creative female psyche.

The second series looks at the female artist’s ‘Inner Critic.’ Through collage, Tai assembles both abstract (in watercolour and porcelain) and literal (photographic collage) signs and symbols of the way that she thinks about herself in a reflective or critical way. Often notions of confidence or boldness can be negatively misconstrued as ‘Attention Seeking’ and assertive pragmatism can often be deemed ‘cold.’ Snaith has recently been encouraged to stop calling herself a ‘hoarder’ due to the negative connotations and now tries to use the term ‘collector’. Most of us know the feeling when we are in a spiral of self-loathing and these critical labels pop into our heads. This series of collage works are a reminder to embrace the positive side of being a strong woman rather than take a negative view.

As an artist I collect a broad range of things both two dimensional and 3 dimensional. Generally, I am drawn to books, both what is inside them and their covers. I also obsessively collect old glass marbles and fragments of porcelain, which end up in my sculptural assemblages. I have hundreds of books I glean for images to use in collage, which is quite a personal practice for me and which I rarely exhibit. Usually these are books on women in history, old Readers Digests, old art magazine from the 50’s-70’s and Encyclopedias on plants and the Natural World. Generally, my work from the past 5 years has revolved around books. In my large assemblage and photographic works (such as the recent commission ‘Open Book’ for the State Library of Victoria) my work uses actual open books as the base of the image. I also write and illustrate picture books, with my 5^th title having just been released this year.

[portrait image credit: Eugene Hyland]