Jo Lamb
Fluffy came to life around 2006. He was an affectionate sideswipe at my late partner’s interest in Joseph Beuys and the utter seriousness of Beuys’ performance piece explaining art to a dead hare.
Fluffy continues to engage. At the start of Covid, when we were all locked down and everything was odd and scary, Fluffy became a useful displacement activity. I created the Isolation Diaries series featuring my imaginary adventures with him to pass the time. As a character he always likes to have the last word, demanding to know “what’s wrong with a stiff upper lip,” or claiming that there’s "nothing wrong with an imaginary friend".
I was coming home after a private view one night, having not sold a painting, and Claire Meiklejohn sent a message asking if Fluffy would like a show in her gallery. We were delighted to oblige. Claire created a large vinyl rabbit entering the gallery and the show almost sold out despite the challenges of Covid lockdowns.