SALLY HACKETT: THERAPETS OF YOUR DREAMS
In 2020-21, Hospitalfield commissioned Sally Hackett four months of Studio Time in order to develop ideas for new work to be presented with Hospitalfield in the 2021/22 Art Programme.
In Summer 2021, Sally Hackett is delivering two art works for Hospitalfield: Padlocks of Self-Love and The Dream Therapet Children’s Graduation Carousel with children from local Primary Schools Muirfield and Timmergreens.
Therapets of Your Dreams
Children’s Graduation Carousel with artist Sally Hackett
Sally Hackett asked 400 children to imagine their dream ‘therapet’: An imaginary pet with magical abilities to look after, comfort and generally make each child feel better. Hospitalfield’s annual graduation commission with Timmergreens and Muirfield Primary Schools celebrates the move of Primary 7 children onto their secondary schools. Through weekly workshops over six weeks at both schools, artist Sally Hackett has created this graceful sculpture, much like a fairground carousel, which combines the wonderful dream therapets conceived and painted by the children. Installed around a grand old tree within Hospitalfield’s grounds, this is an alternative to our annual Procession, allowing visitors to come and see the work in their own time, with their families from dawn to dusk.
We are grateful to all the pupils, teachers and colleagues at Timmergreens and Muirfield Primary Schools for working with Sally Hackett and Hospitalfield to create this magnificent art work.
Sally Hackett is an artist and educator living and working in Glasgow. Sally makes sculpture with a range of materials of widely different shelf lives and sell by dates from glazed ceramics to peanuts, garlic husks and toilet rolls. Spurred by intuitive making, Sally creates her work predominantly around emotion and mental states. Characters appear showing stories of social intricacies, heartbreak and human failure but with a playful aesthetic of bright colours and cartoon faces. Her work aims to simultaneously express both joy and pain. The playful aesthetic of the work mirrors the sentiment, displaying the energy and beauty present in imperfection. Sally’s interest in pedagogy often sees her working directly with community groups and children to create works collaboratively or facilitate others in their act of creating. She has worked on educational projects with a wide range of organisations, completing projects and residencies with Glasgow Royal Hospital for Children, GOMA, Project Ability, Platform, Panel and Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. Recent exhibitions include ‘A toilet is a wishing well’ Generator Projects (2020) ‘A Weakness for Raisins’ CCA, Glasgow (2018) ‘From Glasgow Women’s Library’ (2018) and ‘The Fountain of Youth’, Edinburgh Art Festival (2016).
Photos:
1-6, by Ross Fraser McLean
7-8 courtesy of Hospitalfield
5-6 courtesy of Sally Hackett