Home can be cosy and safe, warm and familiar. But it can also be a troubling
space with uncomfortable memories and
hidden fears. Can you remember, as a
small child, being afraid of what was
under the bed or in the shadow
behind the door?

Domestic spaces have long been a subject of painting and, more recently, of photography, being centred on the family.
Houses and homes are also the heart
of a vast design industry supplying
anything from architecture and interior
design to furniture and appliances,
to wallpaper and small decorative
ornaments.

Many cultures, ancient and modern, have
household gods, which preside over a
dwelling or parts of a home, ensuring
safety and harmony. Feng Shui, for
instance, is the ancient Chinese art
which aims to ensure spiritual balance
and good fortune within a space.

A number of artists have explored the idea
of home as the space of narrative, examining the many stories held
within. For some artists it has also been
a space of creative production. The artists featured here have begun deconstructing
the meanings and histories of the
domestic (often female) space and
the relationships between home and
work, public and private, history
and class.

This section features the work of sculptor Permindar Kaur and Alison Marchant, who
uses personal and public archive photography and testimony. other contemporary artists whose
work relates to this area are:

• Nina Pope & Karen Guthrie
• Julie Myers
• Carrie Mae Weems
• Bobby Baker