Trudi HARLEY Born Korumburra, Victoria Born in country Victoria Trudi Harley graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Art and Craft) at Victoria College, Burwood. After teaching for 10 years in both Government and Independent schools in Melbourne she worked as a Sales Executive and Art Educator for Cavalier Art Supplies for 16 years. Recently Trudi Harley completed a Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) (Honours) with Distinction between 2008 – 2009, and a Master of Arts (Research), Visual Art between 2010 – 2012 at the University of Ballarat (now Federation University). Maintaining an artistic practice while in a business partnership Trudi Harley owns and runs Atelier Art Supplies in Williamstown, Victoria, which is a major supporter of the arts in the western suburbs of Melbourne/ This item is part of the Federation University Art Collection. The Art Collection features over 2000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.Artist's Statement: As an artist am continually drawn to ‘what makes us who we are’ and as a result the work, whatever it may be, is a reflection on what makes me who I am. In this I refer to perception, experience and memory as aspects that contribute to our sense of reality. By using these references I intend to engage the audience and develop a sense of connection and community through the visual image. ‘Fallen’ was not necessarily a reflection on my own life but of life in general as I recall at the time I had a family member who was struggling to cope with their own reality. I can also recall at the time reflecting on the adage ‘walk a mile in my shoes’ and the pressures we all face in life. Added to this were my own influences of upbringing, I have always been particularly drawn to fabrics and patterns as my mother was/is (getting a little old now) a seamstress and my father was a bit of a ‘perfectionist’. During my honours study I came across the term ‘Esperpento’ which included such visual elements as exaggeration and unusual viewpoints. Fallen was a comment on the psychology associated with expectations in life, or more importantly those expectations placed on offspring by their parents. This painting reflected the consequences of not living up to those expectations. It is unfortunate that in life, by the time you get to the point of realising that you have the opportunity to set your own standards, that you’ve probably embodied a great many set of values by osmosis and that you’ve now claimed them as your own. The view is from above to dramatize the subject, the figure placed compositionally in the top right hand corner to open up the picture plane and allow for the narrative to continue outside the visual area of the canvas. It was also in this painting that I rubbed back some of the darker oil paint to allow the lighter underpainting to show through.art, artwork, trudi harley, harley, carpet, portrait, self-portrait, alumni