'Let us Cultivate our Garden', Liz Elton's work for 'Handbags' at Bianca Boekel Galaria, consists of a silk bag printed with an image of the contents of her kitchen waste caddy on its way to compost. The image, 'Mixing Greens and Browns' is repeated inside the bag as one of 12 similar images of her kitchen waste printed on potato starch. The bag also contains 5 beans and a slip of silk with the quotation from Voltaire's 'Candide' 'Let us Cultivate our Garden'. and the bag is tied with garden twine.
This work continues Liz's interest in tiny repetitive, acretive domestic acts, shopping, preparing food, feeding, throwing out the waste and making compost, and is made with bio-degradable materials. The prints reference historical still-life painting, in particular Dutch still-life, questioning the value of waste, and quiet domestic work.
The images in the bag suggest a progression through the months of the year, with some suggesting spring and new growth, others summer, the golden tones of autumn, and winter with white mould that looks like snow.
This work continues Liz's interest in tiny repetitive, acretive domestic acts, shopping, preparing food, feeding, throwing out the waste and making compost, and is made with bio-degradable materials. The prints reference historical still-life painting, in particular Dutch still-life, questioning the value of waste, and quiet domestic work.
The images in the bag suggest a progression through the months of the year, with some suggesting spring and new growth, others summer, the golden tones of autumn, and winter with white mould that looks like snow.
