Mum meets Dad Lecarno Club Nottingham 1963, The Artist
Paper clay sculptures, acrylic and enamel paint, pen, dad 80x53x427(cm)
The making of this sculpture began on theme of movement, I began to think about memories of dances; the tea dance for the older generation and then dancing in general. We have all danced at some time in our life, even it was a secret one in the enclosure of your house or a wedding dance or a joyous little jig when things go right.
The idea of using dancing as a connection for my work may help stir memories and foster emotional connections and engage them in a little dance there and then! Along with this idea of dancing I also thought of using the clothing of that era as a memory jogger. We have all had special moments when we knew what we were wearing or what someone else was wearing and it reminds us of times in our lives like a first date or a wedding or the last time we saw someone. The idea of getting ready and then going dancing make strong memories.
To link these 2 ideas with my practice as a ceramic artist I used the meeting of my mum and dad. My dad was in a rock and roll band in the early sixties and my mum was the best dancer apparently. Shea had on a red skirt and a white blouse and dad had a grey suite. For the forms of the sculptures I made them as abstract figures ( life-size )dancing together.
