www.vadisturner.com

Birthday Cake (2009)

Panty hose, tampons, birth control pills, mixed media, 18x15x15"

Chocolate Cake (2008)

Tampons, birth control pills, pantyhose and mixed media, 16x16x8"

Best In Show (Derby blanket with Canopic Vessels) (2010)

Vintage lingerie, clothing, quilts, broken jewelry, cow bells, prize ribbons, mixed media,14x4x4 feet; Dimensions variable

By re-imagining handicrafts, rites of passage and ceremonial adornment, Vadis Turner creates contemporary heirlooms that will ultimately comprise her Dowry. As dowries are traditionally exchanged for societal advancement through marriage, Turner’s Dowry items are sold or traded for professional gain.

Best in Show connects thoroughbred derby blankets and prize livestock ribbons to the ‘prize’ bride. The derby blanket and canopic vessels engage the apex of physical beauty, potential and fertility, with the aesthetics of funerary ritual.

Courtesy of the artist.