Shell Ladies
Years ago, I purchased a beautiful shell ornament in the shape of an Edwardian lady from a now defunct souvenir shop on the sea front in Margate. She has billowing petticoats, a tight bodice and sweet bonnet tied under her chin. Every part of her, from her tiny pointy turritella shell shoes to her tousled ammonite curls, is made from shells.
There is something about these seaside ladies that epitomises Margate – they have that “Kiss me Quick” kitsch of this quintessentially English seaside resort, yet they are beautifully crafted with an air of the fine ladies and gentlemen who once inhabited the grand historical buildings that are central to the town. In addition to this they remind me of Margate’s beautiful Shell Grotto.
After winning an international competition in 2009 to make artworks for Margate sea front, l decided to create twelve larger-than-life-size shell ladies from real scallop shells. I liked that my sculptures were rooted in British Folk art, which after all is public art. I wanted them to be as familiar as souvenirs, yet otherworldly due to their size and scale.
The shells were collected from local fishermen during the scallop season, scrubbed clean and then attached to a welded metal armature, overlapping like tiles on a roof to make the skirts. The larger shells, that made up the bodice, bonnets and doll-like faces, were hand made from clay. A mould was then made of each shell before being cast in a resin and shell composite mix. Their giant doll faces were hand-drawn using black ink and a flourish.
The charming ladies are a remarkable sight as they appear in surprising locations all over Margate at regular intervals in the summer months. A word in your shell-like – you’ll hear them before you see them, their shell petticoats rattling in the wind.
When I walk from my studio in Margate to the sea front stores, I see they still sell the shell ladies, although now they are imported from China and Korea.
Mrs Booth Project
The Guardian – Eyewitness Margate
The World of Interiors – Feature
