Lily Anna Armstrong

 In my research I wanted to find more artists who use the carton form in their work. I found Lily Anna Armstrong's work which has a more kitsch take on it, with references to the past.

The dogs painted on these cartons are commonly found in antique shops and instantly make me think of my grandparents' generation, and the design choices found within the homes of older people. The china blue reiterates this; I think it's interesting that my generation don't buy into things like china plates etc., maybe it's because they are out of style or just that we don't want to spend money on plates that are too delicate to even use, or we can't afford it all together.  I like the way Armstrong has painted along the fold lines of the carton so they appear more graphic and cartoon-like, which I think works well with the spots and stripes that remind me of old comics. 

These pieces also have images of the past, and retro style motifs that seem out of place on the more modern-looking form of the bottles. For me it makes me reflect on the way society has changed over the last few hundred years; the beauty of the images such as flowers, fruit and women contrast with the utilitarian bottles that are a part of our everyday lives in the current era where we are swamped by consumerism. The images represent history in an idyllic way and we don't see the darker realities that have always existed, so these works give me the sense that the artist has a longing for the past and wants to show us an idealistic view of history, while representing modern times as something much less attractive.