Heads
Karen Thompson
Scarborough, England
Earthenware - 39cm x 17cm x 21cm
Second charmology head made as a spare and an alternative.
Commission for the Fears, Foes & Faeries exhibition by Scarborough Museums Trust
Commissioned by Scarborough Museums Trust, this phrenology style head is inspired by the Victorian Charm collector William James Clarke. The head concentrates on his health charms and features a selection of the charms as lumps & bumps on the top of the head. The original handwritten labels that Clarke wrote at the time of collecting have been scanned in and applied to the head as ceramic decals. This is one of two variations I made and was commissioned for the Fears Foes and Faeries exhibition in 2012 which was a major exhibition and part of the Precious Cargo’s, Stories of the World 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
A series of Victorian Chaps inspired by the Victorian ceramics of phrenology heads and animal tureens. A simple play bringing both elements together to create a fun modern day twist for the contemporary dinner party, imagine the response as the lid is removed to reveal a bowl of cauliflower florets or perhaps peas!