The Kidnapper's Throne

I recently displayed my completed instillation art sculpture around my school and had my friend take pictures. I like making really creepy art, mostly because I'm a fan of irony and people don't expect bright happy little Rachy to tie her younger brother to a chair, cut him lose, write a message on the chair in what appears to be blood then name the grotesque piece "the Kidnapper's throne".

While you may question my mental state a bit, I do ask you to let me explain the concept behind my chair, though I have a sneaking suspicion that I have done this once before already. Bear with me, even if you are human and not a bear.

The Kidnapper's Throne was an idea born from an Angus and Julia Stone song called draw your swords. Whenever I hear the verse "See them snakes come through the ground, they choke me to the bone. They tie me to that wooden chair, here, on my throne" I get the image in my mind of someone tied to a wooden chair, bound by snakes that coil around their tensed wrists and ankles like ropes. Their fingers scratch feebly at the arms of their unwanted throne as they are choked by the reptiles and held, helpless, in place.

I do have quite an unusually vivid imagination and listening to the song made me wonder if anyone else would think that way about it, or if they would need the image before their eyes. So I decided to make the throne I envisioned, but make it one of freedom.

I want the audience to look at the chair and imagine a scenario. I want them to see someone that had been trapped in this chair in the middle of a Field looking at a freedom they could not reach. I want them to look at it perplexed by the possibility that someone could be tied to a place, an unwanted throne, with no way out and no one looking to help. I want them to wonder how the victim escaped. I want them to imagine, like I do when I look at the chair, what it would be like to be trapped in freedom.

There is no symbol of death or torture within this artwork, not intended anyway. It is about the contradictory nature of the world. How you can live in a place of freedom, yet still feel trapped by social inadequacy. Or how you can be king or queen, looked up to by many, high on your throne, but feel like it is torture. But most of all I wanted to show that even when we are bound by both rope and tape, there is always a way out.

More irony for you: This artwork is about optimism and hope. Wouldn't pick it huh?
 

This is by far the best thing I have made ever. What is great about it is that it changed meaning as we moved it around or took shots form different angles. When it was in a playground, it was a symbol of lost innocence or of fleeing a trapped childhood. When it was next to a no exit sign, it was like a rebellious jab at society.

The chair still remained a contradiction though, not just because always smiling Rach was it's creator. The most commonly asked question about my chair was;

 "Can I sit on it?"

This is the chair in which someone was bound to. The chair from which my little brother tried to escape but only succeeded in giving himself slight rope burn. The chair that resembles what the spawn of Satan might be interested in when wandering furniture shops. Holy hyperbole batman!

Needless to say, I am proud of my creepy chair. It is a huge improvement over the last one i did for art. The one that I will take an axe to any day. It was also very fun taking the Kidnapper's Throne around the school. I would like to thank Miss Prue Hazelgrove for taking these awesome pictures. She is featured here in the picture of us having a tea party with the Throne. She's the blond one.

I would also like to thank our school for throwing out tables and chairs and leaving a table of coffee mugs and plates unguarded. You made this picture possible.

RachOddSocks