Smartipants

Gallery: St Clement's Hospital, Bow (2013)

Dimensions: 3m x 3m x 4m

Date: 2012

Materials: Steel, children’s pants, speaker wire, sawdust

Smartipants (2007 – 2012) is a huge shopping bag. Larger than life, it bears down over the viewer. The dynamic outline suggests it is bulging with treats, suggesting plenty and pleasure.

At first glance it is empty but look close up and you discover the bag is made of cute children’s pants, small and fragile. These are the items of clothing, worn close the skin and not seen. They carry pictures of fairies, cartoon characters, superheroes and princesses. They announce ‘Puppy Love’ ‘Cutest Kitten Around’, ‘Football Chick’ and ‘Shop Till You Drop’. It turns out that the bag is a holdall of children’s fantasies and society’s restrictions.

This piece was exhibited as part of Compulsion at Shuffle Festival in 2013.

All artwork by Miranda Housden