Ceramic figurines are one place in which European culture worked out its fantasies about itself. These figures often presented things that a culture was proud of in a size that could fit into a modest house. Sort of like a trophy but less personal. Not "good job you've done it!" but a gentile nod that "yes, all these good things, you can take some small part in them too." While these dynamics have not changed, the substance of aspiration has. Not only does the average British family value different things than it did fifty or more years ago, the material of the ceramic figurine has lost its place as a treasured domestic item. They look a bit old and frumpy now. But ceramics do not age very quickly and preserve those fantasies and aspirations of an earlier time. Like little time capsules, they go on living, shining, often looking good as new, for generations, projecting the pride and domestic contentment of an earlier time. In several works including this one, I was interested in what these objects bring with them historically, and how they related to contemporary infrastructure.
pallets, ceramics, thread
110 x 115 x 102 cm
2024