Harvest; E-W

A ceramic bowl titled ‘E-W’. It is part of an artistic work titled ‘Harvest’, featuring seven ceramic bowls. The title choice illustrates the contrast between the golden, wholesome associations of harvest time and the visceral brutality of commodifying women. The work is collaboration between Bethan Lloyd Worthington and Alex McErlain. ‘Harvest’ forms a response to their work and research on the horrifying realities for women that experience human trafficking in relation to the UK sex industry. Their research was based on case studies and information provided by the POPPY Project that supports women who have been trafficked. The rim has a partially cut line around it, meaning the clay could be snapped off in a controlled way once it was dry. This rawness, the planned fracture, seemed appropriate alongside the images depicted on the ceramic bowls. The images refer to different case studies and highlight the ways in which certain vulnerabilities are exploited in order to target specific demographics.