Some people have asked me…why the name ‘Poultice’? Most people think of a poultice as something you put on a wound, to make it better. On living bodies, warm poultices are spread on the inflamed area, providing relief, easing pain…& sometimes increasing circulation. In other words, a poultice draws out, heals and sometimes excites.
As a museum & gallery conservator I have also used Poultices to draw out stains from deep within old objects. Over time the stain is revealed on the poultice itself. A lot can be learned from what you find on a used poultice. Quite magical really. A poultice, therefore, works with an object… slowly beginning at the surface….and drawing something out from deep within.
I want my pieces to work at different levels. The outer layer, or surface appearance has an aesthetic appeal. But when you apply narrative…you discover a deeper and more complex meaning, hidden from common sight. A bit like the process of empathy and understanding another person’s perspective.
“I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person”. Walt Whitman
My hope is that using personal narratives to pull deep meaning from objects…and displaying that meaning….might result in moments of empathy, compassion, hope…and perhaps a sort of healing.