Wrong

Wrong (2022) 

51 x 51 cm. Digital Prints.

Wrong, using an electronic toy dog as a surrogate, plays with ideas of masking, palatability, functionality and the uncanny. The work juxtaposes two versions of the same toy dog - one with its store-bought pink coat and bowtie, the other with the outer layer of the toy dog’s skin removed, leaving only the plastic skeleton and inner workings. The skinned dog’s functionality is improved, the electronic bark it emits is louder, its walking pace is faster, but the lack of the soft cuddly outer layer can produce an uncanny and uncomfortable response in a viewer. Stevens plays with these elements as analogies for her experience as a neurodiverse person performing the “correct” balance of approachability, femininity and the ability to function effectively.

Exhibited in Split Between 2024 Your Pals Annual Exhibition. VENTspace. 2024.