DISCOMFORT - Katie Taylor

The cushion here contains examples of the belongings found with ‘Winchester Man’ a male between 35 to 50 years old. He was found deceased in a barn and had lain undiscovered for 5 years.

At the point of death, belongings or clothes that helped convey social identity in life, are transformed from a state of mundane daily use to one where the items take on a greater poignancy. They are imbued with the essence of the absent person, almost becoming them. When a loved one dies the living are left with belongings as a way of remembering through touch. They provide a means by which memories of that living body can be generated. However, when an individual is unknown, I suggest that the individuality of the person in life can be drawn from the belongings left.

Discomfort aims to shed light on the existence of individuals who have passed away unidentified. By focusing on their belongings I directly tap into facets of their individuality. These belongings and clothing directly and indirectly represent both people’s bodies and their identities.

This cushion provides no comfort to anyone and if discarded onto the floor, or unnoticed directly references the treatment of many individuals who become dislocated from society leading to a lack of identity.

During the exhibition, i continued to visit the space to see where ‘Dislocate’ was and the reaction of people who were sat nearby to it. I had some amazing conversations about it and the context of it in relation to a social space like Common Ground. During one conversation, an individual expressed a similarity to the death of his uncle who had died on the matterhorn. His body had been cremated on the mountain but his belongings had been given back to the family and there was a poignancy to these items, including tickets to an event that he never managed to attend.

Discomfort art about unidentified human remains

Dimensions – 26″ x 21″

Missing Persons Unit Case Details