Bohemian Pearl: Erin Singleton. Vesey Room, Bampton Library

Tucked away near the church, in the picturesque town of Bampton, Erin Singleton, a perceptive artist, has mounted a thought-provoking exhibition on the 1930s through to the 1960s. Using wood, paint and different printing techniques, she selects found objects, coins, buttons, photographs and games, to create her assemblages that represent chance and mutability. Her ‘family’ series illustrate changing fashions in the domestic scene with disturbing intimations of gambling, drinking and abuse. Erin’s grandmother was very strict with her children, hence the tiny but cruel clothes hangers. Each collage features a paper bird affected by time; the first one is pure and perfect, while the wings of the second bird are singed, indicating wear and tear, History and nostalgia infuse this exhibition. In her greeting cards Erin plays with pop, propaganda slogans and advertising as “pin-up girls and suburban housewives take centre stage . . . during a time of great social upheaval and political unrest”. In one of ‘The War Girls’ series, reminiscent of propaganda war posters, a sexy silhouette of a girl leans provocatively against a dartboard with the text ‘keep ’em firing!’ showing her to be the real target.