Summary

Four-tiered ceramic wedding cake sculpture titled 'Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Someone blue', made by Melbourne artist Pamela Irving in 1991.

The sculpture was exhibited in 'The Bride Stripped Bare' exhibition at Blaxland Gallery, Myer Melbourne, 1991. It is a parody of the bridal customs as highlighted in the title. This bride sits upon her own cake of shattered dreams, the new gifts she desires and a mortgage she has borrowed - understandably she is a little blue. Pamela Irving offered the following artist's statement:

'Weddings are public rituals. Inevitably such occassions are replete with ceremony, tradition and bring with them their own taboos. "The Bride Stripped Bare" reveals some of the anxieties associated with this ritual. The seating arrangements, the idea of a "pure white wedding", taking the vows and wedding protocol - not to mention the wedding night jittters. When my brides are "stripped bare" the underlying joy and fears are exposed for all to ponder and bemuse.'

Artist Adrienne Lourie was co-exhibitor at the exhibition.

Physical Description

Four-tiered ceramic wedding cake sculpture in two parts. Each tier sits on a silver disc, held by three pillars. The lower part comprises a white bottom tier, edged by white roses and pearls, and with broken sherds of ceramic on top; the next tier is blue, also surrounded by white roses, and with images of cooking and serving utensils in pale blue and yellow over surface. The upper part comprises a green tier with silver roses around, with yellow dollar signs on its sides; the top tier is orange, surrounded by blue flowers and topped with a a dishevelled bride wearing flowing cream clothes with a blue garter, blue roses on her hairline and bare breasts.

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