During the 2020 Lockdown, I was one of several artists chosen to be Writer-in-Residence at the Hatton Gallery in Newcastle.
The residency runs yearly, but presented some unique problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hatton Gallery, like everything else was closed. Our pieces, therefore, had to be inspired by the Gallery’s online collection.
One of the digitised exhibitions was the Hatton Gallery’s exciting Linderism exhibition. The exhibition explored Linder Sterling’s diverse artistic practice, including the radical feminist photomontages she is well-known for. More information about the Linderism exhbition can be found here.
In responding to the exhibition, I considered Linder’s photomontages as a breaking up and re-arranging traditional views of womanhood, as well as family stories about what being a woman in the 1970’s was like. I hoped to gather that into my own re-arranging/disassembly of womanhood. Womanhood as something strange and uncontainable.
Mother With Her Head Replaced
try living / as an appliance / make toast in the morning / say thank you darling / get married never / your head as a doormat / toes as so much rain / wash the dishes / live in hope of a TV dinner / Vesta curry / goddess of hearth and home / arriving with a ding / wash the dishes / he doesn’t ever say thank you / doesn’t / scrub the front step / buy clementines / pretend you don’t have a phone voice / make toast in the morning / wash the dishes / your head is a feather duster / your breasts an advertisement / make toast in the morning / wonder / when the goddess arrives / fold yourself into the microwave / forget to wash the dishes / the hum is electrifying your pores and elbows and bones / your lips flash neon / your teeth buzz / you ding