History of Your Life in 4 Objects

Childhood: Traditionally not the music you would associate with many childhoods, Cher’s ‘Believe’ CD is the object I have chosen to represent my younger years. ‘Believe’ was manufactured in Germany and released on 13^th October 1998 by Warner Music UK Ltd, the CD featured ‘Believe’ which became number one on 2^nd March 1998 making Cher the oldest female artist to top the charts. In the United Kingdom ‘Believe’ spent seven weeks at number one and became the biggest-selling single of 1998, selling in total 1,672,000 copies to date contributing to the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 42^nd Grammy awards, where it also received a nomination for Record of the Year. The CD featured ten songs written by a collaboration of individuals including Brian Higgins, Stuart McLennen, Paul Barry, Steven Torch, Matthew Gray, and Timothy Powell and produced by Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling.

‘Believe’ is a dance-pop song that incorporates elements of techno and house music and samples the songs ‘Prologue’ and ‘Epilogue’ by British Rock group Electric Light Orchestra from their 1981 concept album Time. It also uses heavy amounts of Auto-Tune which has since become one of the song’s most notable features.

Looking back the music of Cher was not life changing in any sense but is just a simple reminder of the things I have in common with my mother and the things we equally enjoy. At a younger age the lyrics meant very little but the significance of just general pleasure singing along with my mother is what makes this particular CD special to me. 

History of Your Life in 4 Objects

Present: “Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary”

The passport to me is symbolic of the potential an individual has to change there lives with great significance whether offering the opportunity to temporarily experience new cultures or permanently change the environment in which we live in.

The passport is an official document issued by the national government which certifies the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. A passport does not entitle the passport holder to entry into another country however it does normally entitle the passport holder to return to the country that issued the passport. It is thought King Henry V of England invented what some would consider the first true passport, however the rapid expansion of rail travel in Europe during the mid-19^th century led to a breakdown in the European passport system due to the number of passengers that crossed borders during this time. Up until the First World War passports were not required for travel within Europe. However the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire maintained passport requirements for international travel, in addition to an internal passport system to control travel within there own borders. During the First World War European governments introduced border passport requirements for security reasons and to control emigration of citizen with useful skills, retaining potential manpower. These controls remained in place after the war and became standard procedure.

This particular passport which is now out of date was issued on the 24^th June 2004 and expired on 24^th June 2009 and contains documentation of various international countries in which I have travelled.

Singapore: 9^th April 2005 to 14^th April 2005

Australia: 26^th March 2005 to 9^th April 2005

Canada: 25^th August 2006

New Zealand: 25^th December 2006

USA: 27^th August 2006

Australia: 4^th January 2007 to 6^th January 2007

Hong Kong: 6^th January 2007 to 10^th January 2007

Peru: 3^rd April 2007 to 10^th April 2007

Ecuador: 10^th April 2007 to 15^th April 2007

Bonaire: 15^th April 2007 to 17^th April 2007

USA: 27^th October 2007

USA: 20^th March 2008

Canada: 25^th July 2008

Republic of South Africa: 15^th December 2008

USA: 30^th December 2008

Republic of South Africa: 1^stJanuary 2009 & 15^th March 2009

History of Your Life in 4 Objects

Early Teenage: South African Ndebele Dolls

The Ndebele tribe of South Africa are known for there extraordinary vibrantly painted homes which dominate the vacant surrounding. The object shown on the left in an example of an Ndebele doll which despite being associated with children’s toys is in fact a tribal tool laden with ritual and religious associations within the community. They are used to teach, and entertain, they are supernatural intermediaries, and they are manipulated for ritual purposes. Traditionally during courtship a suitor will place a doll outside a young woman’s hut indicating his intention to propose marriage to her, if accepted the doll is then named and cared for, the name in which is later chosen for the first born child. However in today modern society in order to strength and maintain cultural identify the delicately beaded dolls are exported in order to provide a source of income for the Ndebele women. The Ndebele dolls range from various sizes and detail most of which have intricate beading symbolic of there native clothing.

Throughout my early teenage years we as a family frequently visited South Africa’s coastal town of Cape Town and surrounding areas which over time became a huge part of my childhood. This particular Ndebele doll was the first of many which I bought on my first visit in a small craft market situated a short walk away from Hout Bays Waterfront.

History of Your Life in 4 Objects

Late Teenage: Lockets & Love.

This particular necklace is a collaboration of two separately manufactured pieces, a filigree heart shaped locket and an almost basic tribal appearing pendant.

The silver pendant was independently designed and produced by Andreas Hadjivassiliou using scraps donated by his grandmother who regularly produced her own items of unique jewellery. This sole simplistic pendant was produced around the millennium as product of the skills and techniques passed onto Andreas by his grandmother during childhood experimentation.

I obtained the piece after being in a significant relationship together, however despite the pendant not being something in which I would usually wear, the knowledge of its importance to him made it become more precious in my opinion.  

Lockets traditionally associated with popular Victorian costume jewellery were originally used not only to carry keepsakes including powder, poisons, charms, hair, ashes and more recently photographs but were gifts of condolence given to those who had lost loved ones. However despite being produced in a variety of metals, brass, copper, aluminium, iron, sterling gold and platinum, the more popular lockets were traditionally made of copper plated with sterling silver. During the early years of the 20^th century when mechanical advancements were taking place the locket became a object of mass production, incorporating extravagant pearls, gem stones and miner cut diamonds. The Victorians who became obsessed with romance popularized the heart shaped locket which led to its increased demand which still occurs in today’s modern society. Due to the way in which I came into possession of the heart shaped locket I know very little about its manufacture or its development.

After always having the desire to own a heart shaped locket due to the romanticism associated with them it was special object to me when I was given this particular locket as a gift from one of my closest friends Siobhan.

Both objects have great personal significance due to the individuals which it represents. Due to a series of events neither of the individuals are part of my life as it is today and therefore similarly to the way in which Victorians used the heart locket as a way of remembrance I to use it to remember a particular time in my life.  

Circus Days

An orchestrated riot of trivial entertainment smothered in the stigmas surrounding the travelling communities and there presumed behaviour, have been frequently targeted by artists from various disciplines, in particular photography.

Jill Freedman- Circus Days (1971)

Leeds Galleries, ‘The Series of Artworks Carefully Arranged’ considers the way in which particular performances mimic and exaggerate situations from every day life, enabling us to begin to understand reality from a distanced perspective. The pieces of artwork ...

‘aim to highlight the way familiar objects, images and stories, as well as the grotesque, unknown and peculiar, can allow us to confront deep and uncomfortable truths.’  

John Byam Shaw- Such is Life (1907)

John Byam Shaw’s, ‘Such is Life’, incorporates all aspects of the collections concept which I believe is the reasoning behind its prominent positioning in relation to the other pieces. It demonstrates how performance can mimic and exaggerate everyday life. Initially the characters consisting of dancers and clowns seem to be linked through the general theme of performance which are brought together to capture a snippet of a story. The main focus of the image appears to be the tender and intimate moment shared between the two dancers in the foreground, however the affectionate atmosphere is significantly transformed by the presence of the two laughing clowns. The atmosphere is now uneasy and the painting almost becomes a representation of embarrassment which is then exaggerated by the uniformed policemen lurking in the shadows, barely noticeable. Similarly to the divided perspective of the circus atmosphere we have by society today the painting also travels from moments of disturbance to alterative moments of compassion.

Until reading the information available I didn’t notice the text positioned discreetly above the clowns disguised in the form of an advertisement poster reading, ‘Scandal’. In my opinion I felt possibly the use of text could have been more effective if used more discrete, or in a degree which was less obviously descriptive of the situation.

‘I believe this painting illustrates the consequences of petty gossip and mankind’s instinct to want to know everything about everyone.’  

The diagram demonstrates the hierarchy of the characters established by the use of composition and contrasting tones. Usually the characters which are raised above others are the desired focal point of the image, however due to the use of a stronger light source upon the intimate couple the focal point of the image is shifted.



Both Bruce Davidson and Jill Freedman took performance related imagery particularly focusing on the diverse characters of the circus community, some images of which are uncannily similar.

Jill Freedman- Time Out

During the 1970’s Jill Freedman whilst living in a beat-up white Volkswagen bus followed the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus as it travelled from upstate New York to Cincinnati producing a range of images straight out of a Fellini film.

Bruce Davidson, eleven years prior to the photography exhibited by Jill Freedman, documented his profound interest in the unexposed daily lives of the circus people, in particular an intimate series of a dwarf clown.  

‘Davidson’s poetic and profound eye reveals not only the circus that is passing away, but takes us through what could be called the eternal circus.’

 Both Freedman and Davidson shot photographs of the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus, however Davidson in addition to this recorded images from two very different Amercian circus’ across a decade in the mid-twentieth century. This change in individuals of similar surroundings throughout the decade was able to alter his photographic perspective. In 1958 Davidson viewed the performance of the famous lion tamer Clyde Beatty and human- cannonball Hugo Zacchini from the top of the performance tent. In 1965 at a multi ring coliseum show, Davidson took a more critical look at performances under a steel and concrete environment which resulted him a sharper more surreal outlook and outcome. Finally, in 1967 Davidson caught the elegant exuberance of an Irish one-ring circus in which he strived to capture the true essence of the circus, including an eye-to-eye encounter with an exceptional trapeze artist made from a perch at the top of the tent.

Bruce Davidson- The Dwalf (1958)

The photograph above is one of many featuring the dwarf-clown Jimmy Armstrong who is the focal point of the image demonstrated by the foreground placement against the excluded clients in the background. The slightly blurry cropped individuals in the background appear to be laughing at Jimmy Armstrong, which appears ironic due to the nature of his occupation. The audience empathises with Jimmy as he evokes emotions of rejection and loneliness conveyed by his facial expression, similar to the mask of paint veiling his emotions during the performance of a clown.

New Perspectives

West Block: Comparable to an abstract painting this particular photograph features vibrant contrasting colours created by weathering, resulting in flakes of burnt oranges of rust against the vivid shades of blue paint.

Main Entrance: I particularly like the deceptive perspective of the exterior building leading the eye to a focal point which appears to be further then in reality. The architectural success of the aged exterior’s juxtaposition to the panelled glass is an effective collision of surfaces which I believe is demonstrated in this image.

Library Hallway: The diminishing hallway creates an almost water like reflection in the flooring. On first glance the audience is unable to see the faint figure emerging from the darkness due to the strong contrasting tones of the vibrant red against the black shadows which I feel adds a complexity to the image.



Bill Jackson: Sense of Paper

‘Imaginary people’ is a series of inspired compositions veiling Jacksons absent portraits, which individually evoke complex narratives representational of his imagination.

'Think for a moment what paper means to people. How ubiquitous it is in everyday life.....A material of paradoxes, it can be used and abused in a thousand ways and still be the same under its skin. It is the embodiment of man's achievement , yet it is as transient and as flimsy tissue....In its strengths and weaknesses, faults and flaws, it is intensely human....' - Taylour Holden

Primarily produced from tailoring paper dress patterns in addition to collected notes and crumpled tissues the pieces were pinned together and hauled into position by hooks, threads and pulleys to become the perfect models displayed in the documentational photographs.

'Compliant to any length of exposure and never doubting the artist's intentions these imaginary people hold our gaze with the intensity and presence of a samurai warrior.'

After previously taking an interest in artists who utilise old books and discarded materials as a vehicle for memory conveyance the creative interpretation of these similar materials produced by Bill Jackson has personally become more comprehensible. The ‘Imaginary people’ series’ relevance applies to both the materials used within 3D skills and the application of the pieces produced within textiles.