| By :
Martin Hofschroer
Gateshead artist Sarah-Jane Szikora has revealed why she thinks her work enjoys mass appeal. The artist told the Journal that typical Sarah-Jane Szikora prints which feature gingerbread men and jelly baby characters are popular with a wide variety of people because they evoke memories of childhood. Humorous Sarah-Jane Szikora prints include 'Rude Food', a picture of a gingerbread man pole dancing, 'Mischief of Mice', a portrait of a pied piper gingerbread man and 'Bare Breads; which depicts naked sunbathing gingerbread men. She told the newspaper: "I think it's a nostalgic thing. I think people are sympathetic towards something from their childhood. And you can make gingerbread men do lots of things - everything that a human being can do." The appeal of Szikora's work is the subversive nature of the paintings as they often show innocent confectionary characters performing mischievous deeds. "You can experiment and have fun with that - people sympathise if they do something naughty! The jelly babies are a lot of fun as well," Sarah-Jane told the Journal. The artist has been involved in a protracted legal battle with a London gallery regarding issues such as copyright and this has resulted in Szikora's work taking a darker tone. Recent Sarah-Jane Szikora prints have included 'The Defendant', which sees a submissive gingerbread man in the dock and 'The Root of All Evil', a representation of a devil figure making sausages out of piggy banks. Sarah-Jane Szikora has admitted that the dispute has had an effect on her work and most importantly her creativity. She told the newspaper: "It's so stressful and has been creatively very stifling. My work is quite humorous, but it's been taking a much blacker turn." The artist also spoke about how the evolution of her female characters from grotesque obese figures to slender, glamorous ladies may have been due to her previous struggle with an eating disorder. "I've left that part of my life behind. Now the ladies are more elegant," the artist told the Journal. Szikora discovered her passion for art at the age of four when she emerged from eye surgery with a crayon in her hand. Sarah-Jane Szikora prints have been displayed in several major British exhibitions, regular showcases in Selfridges and Harrods and more recently in America. Picasso and Stanley Spencer have been cited as major influences on Szikora's work and the artist has also been compared to Beryl Cook, which has pleased Saraj-Jane.
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