Hand Wash Position Sculptures

Hand Wash Position Sculptures

Hand Wash Position Sculptures

A series of hand carved sculptures in alabaster and soapstone.

Society teaches us to prevent contamination by washing our hands. We are taught specific positions through posters and videos, in response to this dogma, I have created a series of sculptures using soapstone and alabaster that gently place our hands in these positions when we interact with them.

With the rise of COVID-19 now, more than ever we are hyper aware of hygiene practices and how the sensation of ‘feeling clean’ can be felt physically and mentally. The pandemic has deeply affected our behaviour and isolation has had a huge impact on mental health. For those already suffering with the fear of contamination - or germaphobia - the pandemic seemed to reinforce their phobia. Fear fuelled behaviours, such as excessive hand washing, now felt necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus. I carved these tactile objects in a material that we associate with bathrooms and cleanliness. These objects can be used to gently guide the user through the correct hand washing positions. They can also be held as a meditative object , to soothe our fear of germs and provide a moment of calm.

A series of 4 sculptures - in hand carved alabaster and soapstone
Hand wash position 3, 2019, hand carved alabaster 100 x 40 x 17 mm
Hand wash position 4, 2020 hand carved green soapstone 77 x 41 x 27 mm
Hand wash position 5, 2020, hand carved pink soapstone 75 x 23 x 45 mm
Hand wash position 6, 2019 hand carved green soapstone 76 x 28 x 29 mm

https://graduateshowcase.arts.ac.uk/projects/1960/cover

www.joharrisonhall.com, instagram/joharrisonhall

I am is a multifaceted London based creative. I graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2020, where I earned a First Class Bachelor degree in Jewellery Design. My work reflects the versatility of jewellery with previous projects ranging from high fashion eyewear design to performance based wearable sculpture.

I believe jewellery can be anything relating to the body, encompassing tools and objects we momentarily interact with.

My core interest lies in how society and experience can shape the way we think and behave and my practice endeavours to ground abstract theories in tangible objects. I begin projects with deep research before reflecting on how complicated ideas filter into our every day encounters with the world.

London