Alison Counsell

artefact

stainless steel mesh and sheet, brass nuts and bolts, pigmented jesmonite, shells collected from Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey, Wales

height 240mm diameter 170mm

Red Wharf Bay

Last year (2024) I spent an idyllic week in Anglesey with Paul and our 3 dogs, Monty, Olly and Scout. It was late summer, sunny with blue skies. We walked on the beach, swam, licked ice creams, collected shells, all very wonderful and yet I dare say commonplace.

Red Wharf Bay reflects the beachy, ice cream colours and incorporates the collected shells. The mirrored top is there to capture blue sky.

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artefact

stainless steel mesh and sheet, brass fasteners, pigmented jesmonite, personal collection of Catholic objects.

height 305mm diameter 135mm

So this is school?

I’m an only child and was brought up on a farm in the middle of nowhere, in Zambia. Until I went to school, I had very little interaction with other children and adults. The most I knew about church was it was where weddings and christenings happened.

In 1966, aged five I started school, as a boarder. I was taught about God, Jesus and cruelty.

My first school was called Eureka and was run by American missionaries. It was extremely strict and religious. Lots of Old Testament terror stories. Meals were eaten in silence, and all food must be eaten, or you would be caned. How dare you waste food. I was very grateful for the no talking policy, as my cheeks were often filled with unswallowable gristly meat, that I could spit out later. I often discretely spat food into my napkin and threw if under the table. I think the only kindness in that school was the people cleaning the dining room, as I was never reported. I did get caned on occasion, as we were rotated around the table, and occasionally I sat next to the headmaster, so was unable to fill my cheeks or drop food on the floor.

Eureka closed after a year, and I moved to the Dominican Convent in Kabwe. Here I was taught about death, sinners going to hell or suffering centuries in purgatory. I wasn’t a Catholic, so I was doomed as a sinner unless I converted. I sensed my parents wouldn’t agree, and I was afraid to ask them. Therefore, my family was doomed to go to hell. All my friends were going for Holy Communion, little brides of Christ with their triangular white lace mantillas. I went to mass daily, prayed and was scared. I left in 1970.

Looking back at the first four years of my schooling. I can remember very little about reading, writing, maths or other subjects, although I must obviously have done all that. My main memories are an overwhelming fear of God!

‘So, this is school?’ is a reflection on this inhuman and brutal time. How could adults teach young children this savage dogma? It kept us all behaving. And if that didn’t control us, the cane would. I’m hoping it’s creation will set me on the way to expelling this negativity once and for all.

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vessel

stainless steel, iron wire, jesmonite and acrylic paint

height 210mm. diameter 210mm

I think this artefact germinated from my subconscious. Worrying about the asbestosis in Paul’s lungs, and the decreacing diffusion of oxygen into his blood.