The Fair Women

 

Master’s in Contemporary Design Craft

Hereford college of Art logo

I completed my Master’s in Contemporary Design Craft at Hereford College of Art in 2023/24.

My study culminated in  exhibitions in Hereford 13th to 20th of January and at Craft in the Bay in Cardiff 11th February until 2nd of April 2024.

As part of the Precious Collective ‘The Space Between’ tour, selected works have been shown in Munich Jewellery Week 28th of Feb to the 3rd of March, and at ‘Ferrous’ 15th to 25th of March, Hereford town centre. The work is now scheduled in Cagnes-Sur-Mer Jewellery Week. more info coming soon.

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The image shows a colorful poster for Schmuck Jewellery Festival in Munich. It uses ransom note styling and has all the details of the exhibition

 

About the work

The Fair Woman – from conversation to object, an artistic response to the life of a female showman

Interpreting under represented heritage in a new way.

This body of work reflects a journey undertaken with female ‘Showman’ Louise Jennings, an octogenarian who has lived and worked on Fairgrounds all her life.


Lou’s generous invitation enabled me to record her biography, and research the social and historical context of her life over a two-year period. These conversations give an insight into a community living in plain sight of us all, but one we know little about.

The narrative has informed the development of a palette of materials and symbols which enabled the evolution of the work you see here. My work is an artistic response, an assemblage of symbols and signs not a commentary. You will find the essence of a story represented through objects, aimed to stimulate discourse, reflection, and interaction.
My outcomes are wearable pieces inspired by the more personal aspects of Lou’s story, along with their mixed media display which further expands the narrative that represents the wider notion of the fairground.

If you want to know more you can download a low resolution proof of my final report below, which I produced as a hard back book, or you can buy a hard back copy of this book here

Images below taken by Matt Davis


'Home' reliquary

‘Home’ reliquary

‘Home’ Oak, Formica, paper, plaster, steel, pine, leather, tin, copper, brass, porcelain. and lace

Porcelain hands representing the three women who helped bring Lou up as a child

Close up of turning handle that animates the galloping horse. Early cinema was popularised in the Fairgrounds

Dobby

Dobby

The silhouette of the white horse is the Devizes chalk horse on Roundway Hill. Dobby – Formica, vintage sequins, silver, copper, brass, resin

Dobby

Dobby

Dobbie Pendent worn by Sophie Ferrier Chadwick

Dobby back

Dobby back

Dobby Pendent reverse, etched with Lou Jennings hand writing.

Icon reliquary

Icon reliquary

Icon Reliquary, paper porcelain, oak, pine ply, leather, vinyl, brass, steel Lou didn’t like goldfish, her husband worked on the shooting range when she met him. The wooden living trailers turned black from the lamps and stoves and their were often fires.

Icon - fish

Icon – fish

Automaton Goldfish, paper porcelain, acrylic. Fish were a popular prize until the 1980’s when many council’s outlawed them.

Icon - handle detail

Icon – handle detail

Automaton turning handle – this makes the fish rise and fall

Icon pendent

Icon pendent

Icon pendent, brass, reclaimed silver, copper, porcelain, synthetic hair, worn by Sophie Ferrier Chadwick. The hand represents Lou’s mothers ‘piano hands’, and the porcelain figurines given as prizes.

Icon hand close up

Icon hand close up

Icon pendent porcelain hand, hair tassel – Lou’s long hair has been her pride all her life.

Icon pendant

Icon pendant

Icon pendent with reclaimed silver chain, synthetic hair brass, copper, porcelain,

icon pendent back

icon pendent back

The copper is treated with a patina to blacken it representing the war time mood. The pierced copper reveals a brass crucifix and horseshoe. The symbol of the horse representing luck and a nod to Lou’s grandfather who owned ‘gallopers’ and the crucifix acknowledging the Church of England faith many Showmen follow.

Arrow Pins

Arrow Pins

Arrow pins front, tarpaulin, cotton velvet, kapok, copper, baculite and pine ply. Pleasure Machine – the rides are called machines, and they are in the business of pleasure. It’s playful double meaning reflects the culture of mischief associated with the fair.

Pleasure Machine Pin

Pleasure Machine Pin

Pleasure Machine worn by Sophie Ferrier Chadwick, brass, copper, coal dust, glitter, resin

Pioneer pin

Pioneer pin

Pioneer Pin worn by Sophie Ferrier Chadwick, Brass, copper, vintage map, rhinestone and resin. The map show’s the Jennings family patch with rhinestones highlighting significant locations.

visionary pin

visionary pin

Visionary pin, brass, copper, vinyl record, anthracite (coal) fragments, glitter and resin. Lou’s first job was to change the records on the fair. Coal fuelled her early life, powering machines and heating the home.

Arrow pins reverse

Arrow pins reverse

Pleasure Machine (top) and Visionary (middle) are etched with the Showman’s Guild logo and Pioneer is etched with Louise Jennings hand writing

If you would like to hear Lou Jennings talk about the relevant materials and symbols that are incorporated in my work, click the link below. 

You might want to know what Lou looks like, below is an image from her wedding day, when she married Billy Whitelegg. They have now been married for over 60 years. I am indebted to Louise for letting me into her life and sharing her inspirational story.

Billy Whitelegg and Louise Jennings on their wedding day

 

To give you an insight into the processes behind this work I have kept an online scrapbook journey of my process testing and the project evolution on an Instagram feed which you can find here.