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Phallic Weapons
Phallic Weapons
Phallic Weapons
Phallic Weapons
Phallic Weapons
Phallic Weapons
Alison Rodgers Ceramics
Headscarves
 The Thief.41cm, 31cm, 18cm. Black earthen ware slip dipped head scarf. |  Mothers little helper.36cm, 19cm,16cm. Porcelain slip dipped tea towel. Black iron Oxide, Manganese Oxide |  Details of Mothers Little Helper |  Void of life.34cm,41cm,14cm. Porcelain slip dipped fabric. Black iron Oxide, Manganese Oxide |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  Demise.22cm, 38cm, 22cm. Porcelain Slip Dipped fabric. Black iron Oxide, Manganese Oxide. |  Disappeared.32cm, 16cm, 20cm. Jesmonite, painted on to fabric. |  Turn down the Valium. |
 Detail of Turn down the Valium |  Empty scarf 1.Porcelain Slip dipped head scarf. 20cm, 32cm,25cm |  Empty scarf 2.Porcelain slip dipped head scarf. 24cm 31cm 22cm. |  Empty scarf 3.Porcelain slip dipped head scarf. |
 Empty scarf 3.Porcelain slip diped head scarf. 24cm, 29cm, 20cm. |  Fragmented.8cm, 24cm, 30cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |  Fragmented.8cm, 24cm, 30cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |  Desolation.5cm,25cm,30cm. Porcelain Slip, Black Iron Oxide. |
 Desolation.5cm, 25cm,30cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |  Help Wanted.43cm, 30cm, 29cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |  Help Wanted.43cm, 30cm, 29cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |  Help Wanted.43cm, 30cm, 29cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |
 Falling.23cm. 30cm,34cm. Porcelain Slip, Black Iron Oxide. |  Porcelain slip dipped head scarf.28cm, 25cm, 32cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |  Seeking Help.40cm, 29cm, 28cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |  Shes Not Here.10cm, 26cm,30cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |
 Shes Not Here.10cm,26cm,30cm. Porcelain Slip. Black Iron Oxide. |
Through a development of sombre ceramic head scarves, this work tells a dark story of the forgotten generations of working class house wives. These scarves tell a tale of women who were and in some cases still are, gripped by addiction to the mass prescribed drug Valium, and who were systematically let down and dis-empowered by the system.
By combining ceramic slip with a strong fine woven fabric I have created a body of work that shows the strength of the women behind the story. I have chosen the head scarf as a symbolic representation of the women as it was a typical female garment worn during this era of the 60's and 70's. The ceramic slip dip scarfs have a fragile and fragmented nature to them but also a very powerful, beauty and strength within, this captures the essence of these women.
The slip dipped garment is left void of life, the negative space tells of a dark tragic loss of the human being within, the loss of the strong, capable woman that once occupied the scarf and how she was left a shell of her former self.
The use of dark oxides emphasise the sadness and isolation the women endured at their lowest point. This work is dedicated to my mother and the other female survivors of addiction to the mass prescribed drug Valium.
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