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The
heads in these images are wall plaque ornaments manfactured by Bossons in
the 1960's and 1970's. Bossons manufactured an extensive range of ethnic
and national types such as 'Kurd' and 'Syrian'. These were mass-produced
chalkware but were finely detailed and remain popular as inexpensive collectables.
The images in this series of prints combine the heads with wallpaper backgrounds.
The appeal of the items - which were probably inspired as much by cinematic
narrative as imperialist fantasies of the 'other' - derives perhaps from
their evocation of freedom and adventure. The irony of their placement within
the Western home environment, hung like trophies on the wall, may make us
think of international power relationships and the marginalised people of
the world but the juxtaposition of domestic space with populist exoticism
is equally expressive of the containment and escapist fantasies of those
'at home'. |
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