Hemmed in Two

Hemmed In Two

Part boat, part package "Hemmed In Two' is a personal reflection on the global commodification of culture and its history, while the barcodes acknowledge that this piece is itself a commodity which can become cargo or freight as soon as it leaves the studio. Started in 1999, 'Hemmed In' grew organically in the way of Kurt Schwitter’s Merz Barn and is an on-going project.

'Hemmed In Two' was developed as an intervention into the fabric of the Victoria and Albert Museum (above). Inspired by the museums’ collection and problematic history this piece alludes indirectly to slavery, colonialism and the history of globalisation. The barcodes were taken from the museum reference labels accompanying each object in the museum. I selected these objects specifically, particularly insignificant-looking objects like the telescope of Tipu Sultan, which was taken from his dead body, and what this represents in the history of the ongoing relationship between Britain and India. Other barcodes referred to Meisen figurines depicting the Four Continents.


East International , Norwich, 2000. l-12m, w-8m, h-4m Cardboard, acrylic, marker pen, wood, mixed media

Reconfigured for each venue, part boat, part city, part animal, part infestation, Hemmed In Two is about the beauty of failure. It is made out of a material that is very useful, a very everyday material, a perishable material. In the past both my work and myself were forever seen as an export of another country - rather than what we are, products of Britain.

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