“Even as I sleep I will punish myself”
(2021)
Artist’s own hair, dog hair, woollen blanket, cotton. 1m 60cm (drop) x 2m 25cm (length)
The hair shirt is well known for its role in penance at Lent. Not being religious I still wanted to play with the idea of irritation as punishment. The use of my own hair interwoven into the coarse blanket not only indicates time, but permanently uses my cellular memory of personal mistakes which still haunt my dreams, in order to punish myself using my hair which has fallen out over the past two years.
The dog hair represents the clarity I found by walking our dog; trying to physically exhaust myself to sleep never worked!
The idea of the simple and humble links/ties to both my artist neighbours’ chains, representing the basic tethering of kindness, love and communication which can heal such mistakes!
