Silver Inhaler Holders
Nicola Becci
Nicola has two inhaler holders in the exhibition. They are both made of oxidised silver, meaning that the silver is slightly blackened rather than completely shiny, and their basic shape follows that of the inhaler.
The woman's holder is attached to a double row of silver chain so that it can be hung around the neck, with silver leaves dangling from the chain at intervals. The chain can also be detached and worn separately, with the holder being stored in a pocket or bag. The holder is etched with words such as "blow gently", "lungs" and "inhale" in a handwritten script. Together, these words give the dictionary definition of the word "breathe".
The silver of one side of the child's holder extends beyond the rest of the holder, and is then bent over to form a clip to attach it to a belt or a pocket. Silver cloud shapes have been added to the basic holder at intervals. These are etched with the words "Pop" and "Whoosh", inside an outline which follows the shape of the cloud. Around the clouds, the holder has been etched with a simple, circular pattern.
© The City Gallery, Leicester and the artists: 2001
This site was built by Ju Gosling aka ju90 during an artist's residency at Oriel 31 in November 2001