“A heavy burden, a millstone around her neck . The literal hanging of a millstone about the neck is mentioned as a punishment in the New Testament (Matthew 18:6), causing the miscreant to be drowned.”

Views of Coercion deals with female stereotypes, and the difficulty of living up to today’s ideals and ideas about femininity. Since I started working with glass six years ago, I have gone from (in my own eyes) a feminine girl to a butch worker; a change that hasn’t been entirely easy to reconcile with.
By placing myself in the role of the ballerina, one of the most prominent female stereotypes there is, I explore both my own identity as a craftsperson, as well as the norms and conventions of my gender. Around my neck is an interpretation of a millstone, inspired by the expression “hanging like a millstone around one’s neck”. I use it as a metaphor for the feeling of being burdened by ideals of how one should look, and not being able to live up to it.

The work consists of 18 kilos of clear, cast crystal and brass chain, presented on black plexi glass plinth together with photographic print, 100×140 cm, mounted on black PVC.

Portrait photo by Morgan Norman

Object photos by Martin Ridne