"It seems that the soul..loses itself in itself when shaken and disturbed unless given something to grasp onto; and so we must always provide it with an object to butt up against and act upon."
Michel de Montaigne Essais 1580
One of the most magical exhibitions I've visited this year was at the Wellcome Collection this February.
He was fascinated with folklore and magical objects and built up a huge collection of over 1400 objects during his life.
Powell's presentation of these lucky charms fantastic. There were so many of the same kind, like horse shoes for example, all different shapes and sizes scatter across a table.
Each object carried its own story of hope or luck. ...
These horse shoes covered in fabric were kept to stop nightmares.....
... The various uses to which these…were put were as follows: Boxes for dominoes, flower vases, ink bottles, pin holders, tape measures, scent bottles, match boxes, snuff boxes, and the modern satin shoes for throwing at weddings." Edward Lovett, 'Magic in Modern London', p. 58
Bits of coral were worn to keep sailers safe at sea....
I found the exhibition fascinating and this kickstarted an interest with Folklore and Superstition...I would love to do a project based on this subject in the future....
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| Trailing Tears Wax on mirror back Felicity Powell 2011 |
Another part of the Charmed Life collection was Felicity Powells own waxworks on plates of fairytale figures and floating hands. Watching the video of the making of these small scale works makes you engage with the objects themselves as they are formed carefully by hand. The reveal a ghostly beauty and I was transfixed with every delicate aspect of her work.
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