Objects
Absent From Society
Object Type: Fashion: Contemporary Textile
Artist/Maker: Kerr, Emma
Place Made: United Kingdom: Aberdeenshire, Gray's School of Art
Date: 2012
Media/Materials: mixed media
Awards: RGU Textiles and Surface Design Purchase Award
Description:
second hand sleeping bag form the Salvation Army with laser cut text on top layer of fabric.
Artist's statement:
"Absent from society, over 10,000 people go missing every year in the UK. This statistic is a shocking reality affecting the fabric of society which I call home. Through my work as a designer an opportunity arises, and an obligation is felt, to raise awareness. Secondhand garments have left their owners lives for many different reasons and portray a sense of identity and ownership which echoes from the past to the present. Conducting interviews with the public, community workers and families of missing gave a depth of understanding which is incorporated into the work and reflects a strong message and comment on society. Combining print and subtle textures directly with the garments delivers a compelling message and meaning, ranging from isolation to hope. By using laser -cut techniques, an echo of the once present owner is created. This separation of owner and identity strengthens a sense of self which can be visualised."
Object Number: ABDRG2012.51