The Recorded Story
by Pollyanna Esse
This piece is a stretched bedsheet imprinted, from the artist body, with clay.
The text is written by Pollyanna and is an exact copy of her diaries throughout her abusive relationship from 2018-2020. Every word written on the bedsheet is exactly as written in the diary, with all the spelling and punctuation mistakes. Honesty is really important in Pollyanna’s work; she does not change anything to suit the viewer or the audience. The pure honesty is not only therapeutic for her to process and share but also, she hopes, is a form of connection for the viewer and an inspiration to be honest themselves. Through these words you gain an insight into the confusion and distress that an abusive relationship causes.
The use of a bedsheet as the canvas, hints towards the intimacy of a relationship, placing the viewer in a space that is normally private. It is one of the most intimate places in a relationship and often where forms of abuse occur. The clay, for Pollyanna, is a representation of the contamination that abuse has on every aspect of your life. It feels like everything you touch; you affect. This is paralysing, as in the end, you stop interacting with things and people. You isolate yourself as you are aware of the affect you are having but you are not necessarily aware of why.
Pollyanna hopes this piece allows you to have the space to reflect on past experiences you may have had and connect to them in the hope you will process and work through them.