An Exhibition of Ceramic Objects August 10 - September 2, 2006 Robot derived from Czech robota, "servitude, forced labor," from rab, "slave".¹ Since I was a kid I remember loving robots. Star Wars was my first love and experience of robots with personality. The cheeky remarks of R2-D2 and the serious, conservative C-3PO, who just happened to sound exactly like my English mother, both 'pommies' having the same exaggerated and worrisome sensibilities. Not that R2-D2 was a mother figure to me! But it did spark a feeling of familiarity and I was able to relate to the fictional character of the robots and to see them as not just machines but characters with feelings and attitude. The robot has been the pivotal point of my artwork over the past six years. Author of 'I Robot' and creator of The Three Laws, Isaac Asimov has inspired my artwork and how I see the once ordinary robot. Goodbye Robot is my last investigation into the relationship between human and robot and is based around my story of the robot being a 'product'. The notion of robots as products of man's desire, and the intention of living with and using that 'product' has always fascinated me. In Goodbye Robot I wanted to focus more on the human fear and hysteria towards the robot. The archetypal science fiction image of robots out of control and rejecting their creators. In this exhibition I wanted to go back to my original fiction experiences of film and literature that encouraged me to create the story of my robots, their journey and raison d'etre. Over the past six years my robots have taken on many different forms, from marching armies, my 'product' girl robots and now the benign decaled domestic robot with a utilitarian peaceful persona. Goodbye to my robots...I have enjoyed the journey with you. Dedicated to my pommie mum, Carole – Nid Kelly, 2006. Nid Kelly studied Fine Art (Ceramics) at Monash University with Honours and graduated in 2004. She currently works from the studio a Pieces of Eight and now she’s said goodbye, she’s feeling free to change her direction from robots to something all together different. ¹ www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/robot