Fallen Women

I had the honour of being Immortalised by the talented Alice Instone, alongside my dear friend Sarah Shotton, the beautiful Laura Bailey and many more, in an exhibition at St. Barnabas House, celebrating historical harlots and Jezebels. Upon Alice’s request, we wrote about our experience of sitting and the characters we embodied, extracts of which are published in the catalogue alongside the artworks. These are my words:

“The harrowing circumstances surrounding my character’s incarceration and her subsequent death were resonant throughout my sitting. I felt enraged, powerless and quite muted in moments.

To be shoved onto the periphery of existence based on these grounds seems unthinkable. I have a real appreciation for the age we live in and the relative freedom of expression most women have now. Madonna and Magdalena archetypes are obsolete and we can comfortably inhabit both if we so desire. My voice is the most fundamental part of who I am. Lady Mordaunt had her’s usurped by the key men in her life, rendering her ineffective and inhuman.

Under Alice’s watchful and nurturing gaze these emotions eventually lifted. I relaxed into the role of being a sexually charged woman consciously not allowing full surrender; it felt appropriate to draw strength from a little self protection.”

This article was posted on Thursday, November 4th, 2010 at 7:55 pm

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