In Straitened Times - a site specific work for One That Holds Everything held in St Pancras Church Crypt, Euston Rd.
The building is a classical revival style church famous for its north and south porches with caryatids modelled on the Eryctheion -part of the Acropolis.
Prior to making the piece I had visited Athens for the Documenta art fair. Greece was in the midst of a debt crisis with public services cut back due to fiscal restrains imposed by the ECB. I was shocked at the poverty and neglect in the city.
My piece was an abstracted version of a caryatid. The caryatid is a symbolic motif - a handmaid subservient to the dead King. She would make offerings on his behalf in the temple dedicated to him. Architecturally, the caryatid performs the function of a column in Greek classical temples.
My 'column' was suspended in mid air - no longer supporting the roof of the building: an empty, useless symbol. It was constructed from many metres of limp fabric - with steel rings as support. At its foot was a small offering/begging bowl.
