Red Queen's Gambit - A Mother's Love

Oil on Canvas

I identified with “Alice in Wonderland” from early childhood, immediately recognising the Red Queen’s “off with their heads” irrationality as my mother. Also she did have bright red hair.

I came to understand, in adulthood, why as a child I experienced the disorientating and dislocating world of “Through the Looking Glass” as normal, with therapy providing recognition of the manipulation and gas lighting that characterised her relationship with me. 

I am represented by the striped board pieces, the Red Queen represents my mother who was very adept at casual cruelty and spitefulness, both overtly and covertly, consistently seeking ways to metaphorically unbalance me, and this interminable game is the subject of the work.