Charlie Birch sent out 49 postcards asking people to confess a sin for Scapegoat. This work uses the art gallery space as a sanctuary, where unpleasant secrets can be told. Just as in a confessional booth, the sins of the 49 participants in the work are not available to the public except by implication. The final collaged picture, with its dark association of religious imagery documents the collaborative process. (From a series of conversations held at different times between Keith Tyson, Sacha Craddock and Simon Morrissey and between Susan Hiller, Sacha Craddock and Des Lawrence.)
'Have you any sins to confess?
"Scapegoat" is an art project made up of 49 postcards which are being sent out by mail and returned to make the final image. The title of the piece refers to the goat which, by Jewish tradition, was symbolically imbued with the iniquities of the people and cast into the wilderness. It is also after William Holman Hunt's painting of the same title.
Scapegoat is a work about guilt and sin, about event and record and about private and public. This project requires your participation. You should confess at least one sin. You will thus be absolved from every sin that you confess.
Please write your sins on the back of the postcard, and return the postcard to the above address. Your postcard, along with the other 48 postcards will be assembled to make one large image. When the piece is displayed only the image will be visible. Your sins will be revealed to no-one.'
[LESS]Charlie Birch sent out 49 postcards asking people to confess a sin for Scapegoat. This work uses the art gallery space as a sanctuary, where unpleasant secrets can be told. Just as in a confessional booth, the sins of the 49 participants in the work are not available to the public except by implication. The final collaged picture, with its dark association of religious imagery documents the collaborative process. (From a series of conversations held at different times between Keith Tyson, Sacha Craddock and Simon Morrissey and between Susan Hiller, Sacha Craddock and Des Lawrence.)
'Have you any sins to confess?
"Scapegoat" is an art project made up of 49 postcards which are being sent out by mail and returned to make the final image. The title of the piece refers to the goat which, by Jewish tradition, was symbolically imbued with the iniquities of the people and cast into the wilderness. It is also after William Holman Hunt's painting of the same title.
Scapegoat is a work about guilt and sin, about event and record and about private and public. This project requires your participation. You should confess at least one sin. You will thus be absolved from every sin that you confess.
Please write your sins on the back of the postcard, and return the postcard to the above address. Your postcard, along with the other 48 postcards will be assembled to make one large image. When the piece is displayed only the image will be visible. Your sins will be revealed to no-one.'
