William Titley
Bridget Saunders:
was a female hawker who died by falling into the River Calder in Colne (1873).
The project was inspired by an article found in the local newspaper archives, which tells of her last days as a travelling woman.
The story goes on to mention several sitings of the woman and her bundle of linen. Later on in the report, the bundles' dissapearance went unnoticed: that was the point of departure for the performance and installation idea.
The event was advertised as an art/historical interest walk. Starting at the exact location where the woman apparently fell in the river. The audience was then guided by the artist (as he read through a copy of the report) to the weir where she was found.
Upon reaching the weir, the artist pulled out of the water, a large bundle of linen and proceeded to enter the basement of the local mill.
Inside the basement, the artist hung out the linen to dry and placed a copy of the current local newspaper to soak up the river water: linking the past directly with the present. The original article was projected onto the linen, allowing the audience to read the report.
Audience view of installation.
Overview of installation.