I have to admit that viewing this exhibition prior to heading off to Toys-R-Us certainly altered my approach to Christmas shopping for the littlies in the family.  Ready reminds us in her work of how we are shaped by forces around us from earliest childhood.

The charcoal and chalk drawings show us the innocence of childhood and suggest the resilience of the young.  For example the burdened figure in Squash jumps up to fill the surface in Squeal and Only Truly is certainly an example of sheer glee. Then the barefoot imprints of Feet remind us how directionless wandering - doing nothing - is the best part of being a kid. These dark but far from brooding works should be sold together, as a set they provide a strong narrative.

Ready goes on to tell us children are malleable and social constructs demand they be carefully moulded into what they are 'meant' to be. This is best illustrated by the companion paintings Boyz Toyz and Girlz Toyz.  Each consists of a brightly coloured bar code under a band of solid yellow in which 'blobs' of colour seem to float. These two yellow fields are the same in both paintings while the bar codes in each are different, suggesting the unformed being pulled into line according to gender.  And as bar codes refer to consumerism and the purchase of toys, we are reminded of how gender oriented play really is. Ready reiterates this with her cube tables composed of large 'blocks' that teach girls' roles (homemaker) and boys' goals (weapons).

Ready works her medium well, she can be either subtle or exacting in her use of colour to suit the message of the artwork.  If there is any complaint, it's that in an attempt to emulate child-like art on the cubes, the artist sometimes goes too far and the result looks childish.  But then perhaps I'm just trying to control the artist and make her fit my demands, much the same way the adult controls the child.  You win Kathy!  And so did the 3 & 5 year old girls in the family - Tonka trucks for the sand-pit!!!