| Katherine Harriott... |
Social Justice, specifically woman’s issues, is one of the focuses revolving around your art. “Accessibility” is a mixed media installation that was included in the BNG’s 2008 Biennial Exhibition. Elaborate on this piece and what it means to you? |
| Originally I was reflecting on contemporary art and who has access in terms of understanding it. Does one need specific knowledge experience, to be able to engage with it? More importantly, “Accessibility” is about accessibility to almost anything: education, clean water, employment and on and on. I reflect on it in global terms and in local terms. Education is a case in point. Can every child access education? What if a child is differently abled, intellectually or physically? What if a family doesn’t value education? What if there isn’t enough money for the necessities of school? How is education accessible then? Access underpins so much of our ability, or inability, to have satisfying, meaningful lives. |
|
| “Art as an Agent of Change.” This was a panel discussion at the BNG that included you and your art as one of the main topics of discussion. Do you believe that art can change things? Why? |
| I am skeptical that art can change things. It has to be accessible first and generally I don’t think it is. My experience with the pieces I make often changes things for me. Inevitably something new comes out of it through the process of making and reflection. If I am fortunate and a piece is accepted into an exhibition like the Biennial I think about it again, talk about it again, write about it and I get more clarity about the piece. I make a social commentary on something that is important to me, if someone then aligns themselves with my theory that’s great but I don’t think I change any minds |
| In early 2008, you were the Overall Prize Winner, Charman Exhibition, at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art. “Law of the First Night,” was the piece that won this great honor. The installation is of a wedding dress and focuses on property ownership. In your own words, please let us know what this installation means to you? |
| I identify myself as a feminist and from that theoretical base I am reflecting on the institution of marriage and its impact on me personally but on women in general. This piece started out as a personal search for an alternative to traditional marriage. I maintain, and some research supports this, that marriage is generally not good for women. I started looking for a type of union that would protect my rights in terms of property and possibly against the negative aspects of marriage. I didn’t find what I was looking for but discovered the ‘Law of the First Night.’ This law allowed the lord of the manor to have sex with the serf’s bride on the wedding night if the serf didn’t pay his tax to be married. A serf’s daughter was discouraged from marrying outside the fiefdom or a tax would be levied because this was lost labour, both current and future labour. The daughter is property and a financial value placed on her. “Law of the First Night” is an amalgam of ideas around property and personal freedoms. |
