CRY OVER SPILT MILK
CHELSEA Cafe Project : Display #14
22nd April - 10th June 2015
Address: Chelsea Cafe, 16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU
Nearest Station: Pimlico
Opening times: 10am - 3pm, Mon - Fri
Cry Over Spilt Milk is a mixed media display of works related to the prevalence and prominence of breastfeeding in Western society. The display includes items from Grace Acton Roberts personal collection of breast milk and breastfeeding paraphernalia, as well as spoken word poet, Hollie McNish’s YouTube video, Embarrassed, which went viral on its release back in 2013 and has been viewed over a million times online. Especially commissioned for Cry Over Spilt Milk is artist and curator, Sinéad Bligh’s sound piece 60 mls.
The topic of breastfeeding in public regularly crops up in the media, just last December, when Louise Burns was breastfeeding in Claridges, she was asked by the establishment to cover up and be more discreet. She then tweeted what had happened and a frenzy of discussion was whipped up in social media and the news, even politicians were asked to give comment. In protest, a group of about 25 mothers decided to breastfeed their babies outside of Claridges. Cry Over Spilt Milk questions what society deems appropriate and acceptable in the public and private domains. The display opens up discussion about the visibility and normality of breastfeeding and explores how society views the female body and the relationship of mother and child. |
Grace Acton, 19/10/14 13:30, 2014
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Cry Over Spilt Milk: Holly McNish, Embarrassed, 2013,
This has been edited with permission of the artist for viewing within a public space
This has been edited with permission of the artist for viewing within a public space
About the artists
Hollie McNish
Hollie Mc Nish is a UK poet who straddles the boundaries between the literary, poetic and pop scenes. She was UK Slam poetry champion in 2009 and the first poet ever to record and perform at Abbey Road Studios, London in 2013. Hollie has performed in venues as diverse as Glastonbury festival, the Royal Albert Hall, Ronnie Scotts Jazz Bar and had poems appear on Radio 4, XFM, MTV, Channel 4 and BBC 2. She has had poems used in The Economist, Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and Channel 4 Random Acts.
Hollie runs a poetry in education organization Page to Performance. She works with rapper Inja and runs poetry workshops across the UK. She has also worked with schools and youth centres in Belgium, Germany, Australia, France and Portugal, and for the British Council in Latvia and Poland. Although mainly in English, she also writes partially in French and German.
http://holliepoetry.com/
Sinéad Bligh
Sinéad Bligh practices through the media of sound and text (both online and in physical installation), video and performance, often employed through curatorial and artistic collaborations. She has acted as project assistant and editorial assistant on various events, publications and exhibitions at CHELSEA space London and the Cooper Gallery Dundee. Currently she is the Chelsea Arts Club Trust Research Fellow at CHELSEA space for 2014 – 2015, and works as an Archive Assistant and Researcher for the Barry Flanagan archive.
http://sineadbligh.com/
About the CHELSEA Cafe Project
The Cafe Project is a series of displays of work by students and staff from Chelsea College of Art and Design. These changing displays are a chance to see some of the talent here at Chelsea from across a diverse range of disciplines. The series is curated in collaboration with CHELSEA space as part of the Public Programme.
Visit CHELSEA Cafe Project website
The Cafe Project is a series of displays of work by students and staff from Chelsea College of Art and Design. These changing displays are a chance to see some of the talent here at Chelsea from across a diverse range of disciplines. The series is curated in collaboration with CHELSEA space as part of the Public Programme.
Visit CHELSEA Cafe Project website