1.1.21 Body bags
I have used body bags for a number of years to store my life sized soft sculptures. I had planned to make zipped canvas bags, but then saw an image of a protest on Brighton beach where protestors were getting into body bags to highlight the migrant crisis. It suddenly occurred to me that they would be perfect for storing my work.... and when I discovered that the 'economy body bags' were only £3, I was convinced. It would have cost much more and taken me some time to make as many as I need. They are plastic, and hence not sustainable, sadly, but in every other respect they are really good. They are white with a full length zip, light and easy to carry and stack; they're quick to pack and unpack.
An added bonus is that they obviously have strong associations with death and the body. I'm not sure what my neighbours think as they see me carrying body bags in and out of the house! Julia Kristeva says that 'Death is the ultimate in abjection.' so obviously, using body bags can evoke an abject response.
I have used them in the past, as part of my work too. During a month long residency in an empty shop in Bristol in 2016 I set up an installation of used clothing, and I gave the clothes away. I also experimented with installations of combinations of clothing and body bags. For documentation of the project please see Don't wash your dirty laundry in public.
An added bonus is that they obviously have strong associations with death and the body. I'm not sure what my neighbours think as they see me carrying body bags in and out of the house! Julia Kristeva says that 'Death is the ultimate in abjection.' so obviously, using body bags can evoke an abject response.
I have used them in the past, as part of my work too. During a month long residency in an empty shop in Bristol in 2016 I set up an installation of used clothing, and I gave the clothes away. I also experimented with installations of combinations of clothing and body bags. For documentation of the project please see Don't wash your dirty laundry in public.
I often also feel intrigued by the zipping and unzipping of the bags when I pack away or unpack my work. Recently I have been compelled to take photos of my two recent canvas bodies in body bags, for example, Self portrait and Canvas body. For me there is something about the revealing and concealing, or about hiddenness, that adds interest. I wonder how I could use them as part of my work, or whether I want to? Ready mades or found objects can definitely add meaning, but the mark of making of my hand or my body has always been so important to me. Would I lose something if I used body bags explicitly as part of my work?
