Midwatch
Midwatch was originally commissioned in 1998 by the artist’s group ‘Not in Kansas’ as an installation for the family quarters in the Royal Navy Base, Helensburgh, Scotland. I was intrigued that the family homes on the Navy base suggested a more domestic ‘female’ space within an otherwise male environment.
Midwatch was based on written accounts of 18th and 19th century women who disguised themselves as sailors in order to become part of the male crew and sail to foreign countries. Their stories are both intriguing and shocking. Hannah Snell served as both sailor and soldier and her true identity was only discovered when she was wounded at the battle of Pondicherry in India, 1750. Isabelle Gunn’s identity was only discovered when she gave birth to a baby on board her sailing ship. These women’s secret lives captured the popular imagination of the time and the sailor girl is often the subject of local ballads and literature.
This installation explores the intrigue and mystery around these women. These ordinary women were often motivated by a strong emotional desire, which led them to a life of physical danger and adventure. Their heroic quests led them to transgress geographical, social and gender boundaries of the time.
Midwatch was based on written accounts of 18th and 19th century women who disguised themselves as sailors in order to become part of the male crew and sail to foreign countries. Their stories are both intriguing and shocking. Hannah Snell served as both sailor and soldier and her true identity was only discovered when she was wounded at the battle of Pondicherry in India, 1750. Isabelle Gunn’s identity was only discovered when she gave birth to a baby on board her sailing ship. These women’s secret lives captured the popular imagination of the time and the sailor girl is often the subject of local ballads and literature.
This installation explores the intrigue and mystery around these women. These ordinary women were often motivated by a strong emotional desire, which led them to a life of physical danger and adventure. Their heroic quests led them to transgress geographical, social and gender boundaries of the time.
