V&A & Cockle Pickers Tea Service
4 February 2010
Last week I was in London for some meetings, but I also went to see <a href="http://www.artdes.mmu.ac.uk/profile/sdixon/gallery">Steve Dixon</a> in the new <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/oct/10/byatt-ceramics-victoria-albert">V&A Ceramics Galleries</a> where he is artist in residence. The displays and space are pretty stunning, and it was lovely to see my <i>Cockle Pickers Tea Service</i> embedded within the historical displays in a case with other contemporary artists. Very happy to be next to an assemblage by <a href="http://www.kunststipendiat.no/stipendprogram/stipendiater/stipendiatenes_prosjekter/caroline_slotte_second_hand_stories">Caroline Slotte</a>, whose work I admire very much. <i>Cockle Pickers</i> was made in 2007 - the Bicentenary of the passing of the parliamentary bill to abolish the slave trade in Britain. The work refers not only to the historical legacies of the slave trade, but also to its contemporary versions - in particular the drowning in 2004 of 21 Chinese Cockle Pickers in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire - not so far from where I live.. Three sets were made from an assortment of collected tableware, including pearlware cups from the late eighteenth century. If you’re interested in the thinking behind the work click <a href="http://files.me.com/cumbrianblues/zhg1qu">here</a> to download a pdf file on the work....