Walker Art Gallery and St Georges Tunnels

Beginning this project was somewhat difficult to me, I started experimenting and researching with different artists, but something was just not sitting right. I didn’t want to be the cliché painter or do anything that I knew I could easily complete. When I face this wall, I normally read the news as I love to involve things that are occurring around us and create something that I can make a point with, this is where the period poverty theme came from. Initially I tried out different techniques such as pouring food colouring into water and collaging- which was my first remotely successful try with photoshop.
Whilst researching up on the whole period stigma and statistics in period poverty I gained this idea about ceramic tampons, making them the ‘luxury’ item they are legally stated as. This is where I found The Red box charity which is an independent charity based in Liverpool to help tackle period poverty and women either choosing between food or sanitary towels, sometimes even missing out on education. Red Box and I became in contact through email and kindly donated a red box for me to place near my piece and offered me any resources I needed for this exhibition.  
‘1 in 10’ was 10 ceramic tampons placed on a plinth that I made in the wood shop and PVC fabric sewed onto it. Initially, I imagined this piece in the sculpture room right by Tinted Venus because I didn’t want this piece to be subtle. Women have been made to be subtle or ‘discreet’ about periods for far too long and the best way to end the stigma is to talk about it and I wanted to show this by making it stick out like a sore thumb beyond the intricate and delicate sculptures- mainly BY MEN. The PVC was hand sewn onto the wooden plinth, this type of material brought the concept of the female body constantly being fetishized. The plinth and the tampons created a strange but empowering juxtaposition as the PVC brought a fun and sexy vibe to the somewhat ‘forbidden’ tampons.
However, the morning of this exhibition I was told at 8am that I could not display my work. So I took this into my own hands and placed the work outside of the gallery, maybe this could be viewed as a mistake but I also believe that this displays the passion behind my work and for this cause. My tutors were kind enough to let me display again in St George’s Tunnels, the piece was placed in the centre of an opening with a slightly dimmed light. I feel as though this was the genuine home for ‘1 in 10’.
Whilst creating ceramic tampons and this exhibition piece I have also been using photoshop and writing pieces independently, whilst also painting when I’m trying to make sense of my own self identity and reoccurring sense of not feeling present. I have included certain images within the PowerPoint of some words and unfinished paintings to show my independent work as well.