Onus

I really was in two minds whether to post about this project. Although I still think the concept behind it is interesting and thought-provoking I have always been disappointed about how it turned out aesthetically. The idea was to create a piece that dealt with the responsibilities inflicted on modern day women such as housework and childcare but represent this metaphorically through the medium of a contraceptive pill packet. The idea being that by taking an 'Onus' pill a woman was taking on a fresh dose of responsibility; each pill was illustrated with a different symbol representing a variety of stereotypical female oriented objects eg a hoover or a lipstick. The accompanying booklet offered guidance such as:
'Your medicine works as a reminder of your gender and your duty'
'The active substance is responsibility'
'POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS: In most cases patients will experience depression and feelings of suffocation'
I remember it was lots of fun writing the booklet as it was definitely meant to be quite tongue-in-cheek. I also remember struggling for weeks to get hold of the right materials to make the packaging look convincing, especially the foil covering and failing at every turn. Still, a memorable experience for me and for my tutors who were all blokes and really rather baffled by it all.