Toes Up is an immersive installation that brings together intricate collage-based paintings with hand-painted stop-motion animations.
Drawing inspiration from medieval and contemporary attitudes toward death, the exhibition is centred around the Danse Macabre—a historical allegory depicting death leading all to their graves through an absurd, carnivalesque dance.
The works explore themes of death denial, euphemisms, and the turbulent emotions tied to uncertainty, using slapstick humour and the playful language of cartoons to make darker themes approachable. Highlights include large-scale un-stretched canvases inspired by euphemisms like “pushing up daisies,” juxtaposed with smaller works that integrate personal photographs, cartoons, and found imagery.
Visitors will navigate a dynamic installation where layered paintings are suspended like tapestries and animations draw viewers into visceral, yet whimsical, narratives. By reframing dying with wit and creativity, Toes Up invites critical reflection on how confronting mortality can alleviate anxiety and foster acceptance.
Stop-Motion Animation Workshop - SOLD OUT
Join exhibiting artist Emma Winkler for a hands-on stop-motion animation workshop where you'll bring your ideas to life—frame by frame! Using the free ‘Stop Motion Studio’ app, you'll learn how to animate your artistic creations, just like Emma’s works in Toes Up at G3 Gallery. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced creator, this workshop is perfect for any young people looking to expand their creativity.
Date: Saturday 22 March
Time: 11:00am – 12:30pm
Location: G3 Artspace, Shirley Burke Theatre Gallery. 64 Parkers Road, Parkdale.
Ages: 9–14 years
Limited spots available (13 places total).
What to bring: A smart device (phone or tablet) with the free Stop Motion Studio app downloaded (available on Apple & Android).
Notes: Parents/guardians are encouraged to drop off their young creatives and return at the end of the session. The Kingston Arts team will be there to supervise.
Artist statement
At the core of my practice is the question of how to deal with death as the ultimate, inevitable unknown. I am a Naarm-based artist who explores anxiety, failure and the absurd, drawing on experiences of mental health conditions and encounters with death. Using a personal yet playful methodology, my practice finds intersections of collage, painting and animation to create experimental, multi-media works. Through intricate paintings, layering a network of imagery, and slapstick animations with visceral textures and messy ends, my work encourages viewers to laugh in the face of death, or at least have a conversation about it.
ACCESS
G1, G2 and G3 Galleries are wheelchair accessible and accessible toilets are available.
Images credits: Emma Lyn Winkler, installation views of 'Target Practice' and 'Spiralling'. Photo credits: Leiko Lopez.