Rickson Salkeld – tears for f…. feminity !
« This work deals with the feminine image in relation to the female body. I encorporate hair as a symbol of femininity and challenge the idea that hair is only applealing when it is off the body. I also deal with the struggle to exist as both a human and an animal and the wish to protect the body from eyes, while still wanting to appear as an attractive being. » (Rickson Art Jewellery)
« I am interested in the feminine ideal in relation to the female body. I enjoy creating work that expresses my wish to both conform and rebel against ideas of femininity. Through various materials and processes I take from my own body both physically and metaphorically. Hair can be used to comment on feminine allure and power, while clear resin is used to symbolize an abundance of tears.
Furthermore, I am interested in the way humans attempt to separate themselves from the primal world of animals with supposedly civilizing rules and regulations. I understand gender as part of the ‘cultured body’ and connect the tension between female and feminine with the struggle to exist as both an animal and a human.
I also create narrative photographs of my jewellery on my own body. The jewellery itself references my ideas of body and femininity as I am wearing it, and enhances the idea that femininity is a performance rather than an innate quality. Overall I enjoy deconstructing and reconstructing the feminine ideal to create wearable works of art alongside narrative photography. »
« I like these pieces to exist with their photographs all the time, because the images give the pieces a context to exist in. They create a discussion with the body about the feminine identity in relation to the female body, and support the idea that femininity is a performance rather than an innate quality. «
« This piece is made from flexible resin and looks like water or tears flowing down the body. In Western society it is acceptable for women to cry, so much that their tears are often not taken seriously, as described by the idiom ‘A woman’s tears are a fountain of craft’. However in my piece I am literally turning crying into a craft by freezing the symbolic tears as they run down the body in a stunning neck piece.«
« Tears are strongly associated with femininity. Personally I find it hard to express strong emotion without crying and therefore feel I have cried a fountain of tears in my life time and will most likely cry many more. In my image I am surrounded by past sorrows and resin tears run over my fingers and wrists in the form of rings and bracelets. The sadness associated with tears is literally turned into adornment to beautify the body. «
In this piece one tear falls from my eye into a delicate necklace of hair and resin for round my neck. Tears are strongly associated with femininity whereas strands of hair off the body often elicit uneasy emotions. Therefore my piece juxtaposes the beauty of tears and the strangeness of discarded hair to create an uncanny piece of wearable art.
When long hair is on the body it is seen as beautiful and sexy and gives the wearer power and confidence. Adversely when long hair is off the body it is usually discarded and repulsed. Here long hair dances and swirls round the neck to create a dripping resin form of distilled hair. This piece challenges the idea that hair is only beautiful when it is framing the face, but has abject qualities that still support the idea that long hair off the body is slightly disgusting.
« Strong female characters have a history of long flowing hair in Western and many other societies. It is believed that long hair on a woman is feminine and holds alluring power. However if one were to unburden themselves from the physical burden of long hair they may find they suffer feminine identity burdens. Here I am seen cutting my hair to fashion a long chain for round my neck to communicate both the restrictive and decorative qualities of long hair. Now I can wear my hair as adornment rather than as a part of my body. «
I hope you enjoy my work and take part in my discussions at Ricksonart.com
