Proscriptions
Digital prints and carbon on tracing paper
10 x A4
Installation view
Each peice in the series is printed on multiple layers of differing thickness of tracing papers so that images combine and elements are hidden. Themes of unfamiliar bodily structures, hidden forms within forms, fragility as well as the surreal and absurd, are explored using images originating from eighteenth century illustrations of coral. Coral is an organism with a long history of contention about whether it was an animal, plant or stone, as as such is a structure that represents being between states. This is juxtaposed with typewritten text on carbon paper of instructions to pregnant women of what to avoid to reduce the damaging affect of the female imagination, which if not kept under control could result in monstrous births:
1. strong longing for something in particular, in which desire the mother is either gratified, or disappointed. 2. A sudden surprise. 3. The sight and abhorrence of an ugly and frightful object. 4. The pleasure of looking on, and contemplating, even for a long time, a picture or whatsoever is delightful to the fancy. 5. Fear and consternation, and great apprehension of dangers. 6. And lastly an excess of anger, or grief, or of joy.
