Ghosts of Curtains

Ghosts of Curtains © Lizzie Ridout, 2007

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'My' - with stars © Lizzie Ridout, 2007

A piece currently in Mix it up - a show of a works all 12" square in size, at The Salt Gallery, Hayle, until 5th January 2008.

Inspired by a text found in William Tassie’s Catalogue of Mottos & Devices (1830), back when I was researching at the British Library. This small catalogue offers jewellers interpretations - in list form - of the symbolic meanings attached to images and words used in jewellery engraving. The definition for ‘my’ stood out as completely distinct from all the other explanations in the catalogue. Whereas many offered logical readings, this one stated simply: ‘with stars’. This ambiguity made it attractive as a starting point for a series of drawings.

This edition of 25 was originally created as a series of prints, to be exhibited alongside Homeward Bound when it was launched in February this year. But I've always felt dissatisfied by the way it was necessary to exhibit these pieces, and recently decided to re-frame them in the way that I would have originally liked to. This is the first - the remaining two will follow.

'My' - with stars is laser-cut into paper, and when it is framed between two pieces of glass and hinged to a wall, movement and changes in light create a flickering effect through the holes. When light is cast directly on to the front of the piece it also casts light-text onto the wall behind. Click on the above picture to enlarge.

Living with trees

Mexican trees I, II, III © Lizzie Ridout

Mexican trees IV © Lizzie Ridout

Mexican trees V © Lizzie Ridout

Mexican trees VI © Lizzie Ridout


Torre Guinigi, Lucca © Florizelle

A selection of charmed forests shot whilst journeying down Mexico earlier this year, and one sent to me by Florizelle. It feels like something could happen in these wooded places…

And then I stumbled across these in Cabin Fever…

In the 19th century visitors to this tree at Montibo in Piedmont, Italy could climb up onto platforms to appreciate views across the surrounding countryside.


A folly from 1859.

In 1900, Le Plessis-Robinson - 6 km to the south of Paris - was a popular meeting point for visitors to to enjoy evening dances in the cool air outside the city, then withdrawing to a birds-eye view of the proceedings whilst enjoying a meal that had just been hoisted up to them by way of a pulley system.

I remember a while ago, when I was researching sentimental jewellery discovering that people wore sentimental jewellery dedicated not only to dear ones, but to political figures. These pieces were designed to be discrete, with either hidden engravings or made very small so that they could be put on beneath the wearers clothes. One particular piece interested me: a locket dating from the 1650's, which depicted two people hidden within an oak tree. They are in fact Major William Carlos and Charles II. The story goes that in order to avoid being detected by parliamentary forces after the battle of Worcester in 1651, they climbed into an obliging oak tree, and were thus saved.

Book worm

Photographs © Lizzie Ridout

I collect exercise books from around the world. I'm sure when this one was given to me I didn't notice anything odd about it. But I've discovered that someone has tunneled their way through it. There's a project in this somewhere.

Nature's chief restorer

Source: University of Delaware Library

Well. I've got electric tablecloths, dresses, fruit and jewellery. And now I can add electric belts to the collection.

This novel product would have conducted a mild electric current through the wearer and was recommended for a variety of ailments including tiredness, kidney disease and any reproductive or sexual disorders.

If only it lit up too, then in addition it'd be good for walking back from a Guy Fawkes celebration through darkest Cornwall…