just rebellion: and there's no remedy for memory your face is like a melody, it won't leave my head, your soul is haunting me and telling me that everything is fine but I wish I was dead

I came across work by artist Jessica Harrison from Edinburgh, Scotland. Right away I fell in love with everything she's ever done, and by just exploring her website and scrolling through her impressive cover letter, it's clear to see she has established herself as a "successful" artist. At least, what I view as achieved success for an artist.

Her work comes in the categories of: Imprinting, Breaking, Holding, Slicing, Splitting, Looking, Opening, Drawing, and Printing

Her online store features lithographs (pricy!) as well as photographic prints of work from her "Broken" series. It is the Broken series that I am most interested in, it is unlike anything I've seen before.

These pieces have coined the term "Gore-celain dolls" which is precisely what they are. Ceramic ladies revealing their insides, most with smiles on their faces. Some of them even seem to be dancing. What I like about this project is the contrast and juxtaposition that kind of catches you off guard. Like most people might initially see this and think, "What the hell?" but then you have to wonder what would compell someone to create something like this. Jessica describes the humour that appears in her work to as "my way of balancing this feeling of confrontation, aggression, or what people might see as grotesque. Sometimes people are more open to looking at something that appears humorous, and hopefully if they look for a little bit longer then maybe they will find other meanings in the work."

Interestingly enough, they are not hand made from scratch. "They are mass produced ceramics that I select and modify. I usually buy them at auctions or online, always second hand and usually already damaged." I love the recycled aspect of these art pieces and that the pieces are found damaged, because that alone makes up so much of the grotesque element and how Jessica might choose what precisely is "wrong" with each girl. It's just such a genius concept.

All images taken from Jessica Harrison's website