Gold Drunk

Responding to the theme Not Made in Great Yarmouth, the film Gold Drunk reflects not only on the legacies of colonialism and migration but also, my interest in female themes. I draw inspiration from a museum's collection and my interest in female power. I explore the monumental figure of Britannia, as a symbol that represents Great Britain and the British Empire. I examined this stone statue that has no character or personality and created a powerful monstrous beast fuelled with intense emotion/experiences, including greed, anger and power. I love how this sweet and innocent Goddess-like figure, who represents the British Empire, becomes the villain, and makes us question whether Great Britain is really that great.

I used a range of artefact images found across Time and Tide Museum to create a collage animation, taking the starting point from the cabinets of curiosity, to produce the body of the monster. The colourful surreal museum, found inside Britannia's monstrous body, is developed from the interiors of the museum's Elizabethan House, also located in Great Yarmouth. As well as the beast, there is a museum monitor bot, an Asian jewelled butterfly and imprisoned curious object characters. The title Gold Drunk is loosely translated from Gullveig, an old Norse goddess who was also obsessed with gold. 

The project was developed during an artist residency at the Time and Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth. I also worked with the students and staff from East Coast College to create curious object characters inspired by the museum collection. They gave a voice to the objects and people who were not from the area, using AI software and other digital tools. The film of their work, together with the film Gold Drunk and works by the other artist-in-residence Grace Lee, formed the museum's first digital exhibition.