Marie Laywine

The two masks behind the central figure represent the influence of significant adults in a child's life. These two masks seem to wight heavily on the shoulders of the child. When unable to shake off this influence, it can leave a feeling of oppression. The child's body is the container for this emotion.

Three mask-like figures in semi-profile in a background of green and yellow. The figures represent thoughts/ideas/influence of significant others. Fallen Idols is an image to introduce the concept of the possibility that ideas/thoughts/ influences formed in the past may no longer hold true today.

A half-child is walking out of the drawing space. Her arm is extended, she wears the Tree of Life on her wrist and is holding the hand of the central figure.
The central figure holds an oblong type of shield that protects her heart and her sex. This figure appears pensive and hesitant as she makes the choice to follow 'LIFE'.

Emotional Space is a composite image combining 'Dialogue of the Masks' and 'The Janus Figure' to speak of the difficulties a child may encounter when 'Dialogue of the Masks' (adults) takes precedence over the affairs within the heart of a young child ('The Janus Figure'). In this image, one can sense the void that results from being placed in such a position.

The child figure occupies all of the centre space. Over her head is a nail and suspended from it are two masks, one on her right and one on her left.
The use of the masks represents the significant others in the child's life; the human body as container for all emotions' a child's body as receptacle for what is repressed.

The Janus Figure is a composite image using drawings no.'s 30 and 19 from The Childhood Study Series.

In Roman mythology, the Janus figure had the ability to see in the front and the back simultaneously. The two half-child figures in the centre of the image indicate that having this ability creates a gap. It is in the gap where the creative possibility lies.

Conflict is a composite image combining three drawings from The Childhood Study Series to describe the conflict aroused when the thoughts of significant others interfere with the affairs within the heart of a young child.

Dialogue of the Masks is a composite image using drawings No.'s 12, 14 and 24. The masks are speaking with each other while the child figure languishes in the space by a dialogue where the child is unacknowledged.