Now known as a nursery rhyme, ‘I’m a Little Teapot’ was written in the 1930s to help children remember the steps of a tap dance to The Waltz Clog.
In this exhibited collection of eight teapots, Martha has reworded the original lyrics as a reminder to embrace liberal thinking and empowered ideas. Each pot carries a line that relates to the original text and they all have a distinctive personality, their differences celebrated. Lined up, as if in peaceful protest, they read from left to right:
I DEFINE ME
THINK WHAT YOU LIKE, I’M ABLE
EVOLVED AND AWARE
MY BODY, MY LABELS
IT’S ABOUT TO GO DOWN
HEAR ME ROAR
QUESTION EVERYTHING
TOO IMPORTANT TO IGNORE
Hand-built out of stoneware, the pots have been soft bisque-fired, so while they’re strong enough to support themselves, they are not fully set. In this state they are porous - solid, yet softer, and more open than they could be.