I have been working the past weeks on getting some photo's taken of the work I have done for class. So I wanted to post some of them this week and talk about each piece individually. As a collection the work has over all feelings about things in our lives that overwhelm, but individually the work has specific meanings.
Elizabethan collar
An Elizabethan collar or space collar (many people call it a cone) is a protective medical device worn by an animal, usually a cat or dog. Shaped like a truncated cone, its purpose is to prevent the animal from biting or licking at its body or scratching at its head or neck while wounds or injuries heal.[1]
The device is generally attached to the pet's usual collar with strings or tabs passed through holes punched in the sides of the plastic. The neck of the collar should be short enough to let the animal eat and drink. Although most pets adjust to them quite well, others won't eat or drink with the collar in place and the collar is temporarily removed for meals.[2]
While purpose-made collars can be purchased from veterinarians or pet stores, they can also be made from plastic and cardboard or by using plastic flowerpots, wastebaskets, buckets or lampshades. Modern collars might involve soft fabric trim along the edges to increase comfort and velcro surfaces for ease of attachment removal.
The collars are named from the ruffs worn in Elizabethan times.
The thing I like most about this piece and the rest of the series is the multiple interpretations possible, both positive and negative. As you say, the collar is a thing of beauty but also restrictive. So many political and cultural connections.
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