Love Children
Autumn 2005

Wall hanging
140cm x 43cm

Multiples (batch of 4)
25cm x 19cm x 1cm each

Description
Small baby dolls on dark pink satin cushions with an underlay of packaging felt, 
pale pink quilted fabric, disintegrating in parts, ribbons in various shades of pink, the word ‘love’ machine stitched, heart shaped pins

Themes, comments & storylines
Love for sale, children for sale, pain of love, vulnerability, exposure, effigy, superstition.

“A pair of baby mittens knitted for me by my then eight year old brother. No longer in existence, sadly – they would have been 45 years old. The mittens were made for me prior to my birth and presented from behind his back with pride when I was born – he had learned to knit to do these gloves, as he was so excited. He was responsible for naming me and our relationship has always been a special one. The mittens were a very tight tension, which expressed the struggle he had on his own to produce them in secret. Also they were apparently presented in a grubby state which declares the same thing. The fact that they existed at all represents the love he had for me even before I existed. The mittens … no longer exist except as a memory, which makes me feel very sad as our relationship has also deteriorated slightly – this seems almost symbolic of that fact.” (from my correspondence, 2005)


“I also remember growing slightly too big for my blue babygrow at around the same time, so one day the feet end were cut off with a scissors so I could wear it for a little longer. I was waking at the time, the feet end of the babygrow were shiny plastic pads to prevent wear. I may remember it because I was scared of having my feet cut off! Many of my most vivid memories are associated with getting upset or frightened.”
BBC Radio 4 Memory Experience 2006

 

More childhood stories: flower children,  childhood portraits, safety matters, child's play