I was approached by Amy Voris to be in dialogue and offer a contribution to the project 'A Shrine To Women's Work'. It was a humbling, inspiring and emotional journey connecting with a lineage of maternal and artistic grandmothers.
Read more about it and the Accumulations Project here: http://www.accumulationsproject.com/a-shrine-to-womens-work/
The work was exhibited 1 – 13 August 2016 at AWOL studios / Hope Mill
From these conversation I developed the offering 'You Are'
About 'You Are'
The subject of this project and the conversations that unfolded bought me immediately to my maternal Grandmother and consequently a line of mothers from the North West of England. I was born, lived and worked in Australia until almost eight years ago when I moved to Manchester, where I now live and work. I had always known of my Grandmother Mary’s history of working at Greg’s Mill in Reddish and from this sought to understand more about her Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother. Thank you to my Mother Christine for sharing the information she has dedicated many years to gathering about the family history.
My contribution:
I place myself in the image acknowledging that all the women mentioned in this work are present through my body’s presence. Also as a dance and movement artist the body is the focus of my work.
I place objects of my work (a computer, glasses I wear working).
I place a leather wallet my Grandmother Mary carried important documents in when she emigrated from England to Australia. I now carry my important documents in this when I travel.
I place passports that are a part of my work, as I travel with work often, but they also link the two places in this narrative.
I place textile that connects me to the work in the Mills and the history of the places my Grandmothers (including Great) were born and lived and how work changed because of the textile industry and the industrial revolution.
Thank you to Pavel Haradnitski for taking this image for me.
In the process I was acknowledging:
Maryanne Tripp (nee Warrington)
Born 1815 in Liverpool, England.
Work unkown.
Died 10th December 1862 in the Toxteth Workhouse Southdown Road Toxteth, England.
Agnes Edwards (nee Tripp)
Born on the 18th August 1855 in Liverpool, England.
In the 1881 Census Agnes was living in 130 Salisbury Street and at this time a widow as her husband John Edwards died at sea. Agnes consequently married William Roberts
Occupation Charwoman.
Date of death unknown.
Maria Mealey (nee Edwards)
Born 24th October 1873, Liverpool, England.
Married Thomas Mealey and gave birth to ten children.
Died in 1956 in Reddish, England.
Mary Cunningham (nee Mealey)
Born 18th June 1910, Liverpool, England.
Spent much of her working life at Greg Mills, Reddish, England.In Australia she worked in cooking and house keeping services.
Died 6th October 2008, Kyabram, Australia.
Christine Fiske (nee Cunningham)
Born 30th December 1943, Manchester, England.
Work: Early years and Primary education, farming and survey researcher.
Image by Christian Kipp from 'A Shrine To Women's Work'