al·le·go·ry
Pronunciation: \ a-l?- g o? r-e\
Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural al·le·go·ries
Etymology: Middle English allegorie, from Latin allegoria, from Greek allegoria, from allegorein to speak figuratively, from allos other + -egorein to speak publicly, from agora assembly
1 :  the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence ; also :  an instance (as in a story or painting) of such expression
2 :  a symbolic representation

The body of work contained in Allegory stems from my ongoing fascination with ornament and how it simultaneously defines/codifies cultural ideas of beauty while more subtly elucidating social morals, taste, and class distinctions. I wanted to use the ornamental, the decorative, as a representative social framework to help illustrate some of the more tangential, poetic bits in a handful of fairytales -- in particular, parts pertaining to shades of truth. i am drawn to a sense of beauty mixed with fear. The dark found in the light and the light found in the dark. -AMY HASKINS 2008

HOMECOMING
steel, rubber, wool, leather, paint
26" x 45" x 10"

In nearly every block in NYC, you will find a building with a representation of a swag or festoon set in stone or plaster above the doorway. Originally, this was a bundle of flowers that was placed above the entryway on fete days, sort of a physical 'welcome home'. That, combined with the swallows (who can fly 3,000 miles yet return the same nest), symbolize an idea (not ideal!) of home.

            
ENVY (snow white)
steel, brass, cotton, paint
18" x 17" x 2 1/2"

Her beauty - represented in the story by the ebony frame, the white field of snow, and the red drops of blood - is the occasion for a deceit. Though not directly responsible for the lie told to the evil stepmother of her death (the woodcutter carries the tale), her beauty is a catalyst for the downfall of the proud queen. The truth-telling magic mirror cannot lie to protect the girl.

TRUTH (Pinocchio)
steel, pine, paint
23" x 18" x 23"

Pinocchio is the classic coming-of-age story that teaches the importance of honesty and has become part of our cultural lexicon. The "wooden" boy's nose is hacked off by woodpeckers as a reward for acknowledging the difference between truth and lies. What was most intriguing to me was the the brutality of this act which was committed as a reward and now serves as a lesson.

SUBTERFUGE (Alice in Wonderland)
steel, found barbed wire, rubber, paint
22" x 22" x 7"

In contrast to the lies told by Pinocchio to cover embarrassment and to avoid reprimand, the lie told by the Queen of Heart's soldiers in Alice in wonderland is committed in order to stave off a much greater punishment; if they do not repaint the roses to the correct color (red), they will be beheaded.

SOUVENIRS
steel, found tins, leather, brass, rubber, cotton, enamel
dimensions vary... largest is 8" x 5" x 4"
sold separately

'Souvenir". The personal symbol/metaphor. It represents the very common desire (and sometime need) to imbue objects with meaning. Sometimes a bit dark (Victorian hair jewelry), other times commercially made, and often of quite humble materials and origins, the souvenir is always nostalgic and intimate.