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Fiona Smyth

September 2002

The paintings of Fiona Smyth, initially titled The Bride of Gene, address biological identity in the "Bride of Frankenstein" world of cosmetic surgery and genetic modification.
Her depictions of a DNA anarchy, in a world of cross-over genes from plant to animal, expresses concern for a biology out of control. The figurative nature of her work renders the self-portrait in an unflattering form, the body menaced with hooks and barbs in a manner of self-absorbed threat.

The body as plant-form, the plant as body part, rendered with an articulate sensuality of painterly form and colour. The surrealist manipulation of forms portends a certain inevitability to the aggression that is biological manipulation.