I chose to work with a porcelain unicorn, which was probably used for decorative purposes. It was one of two unicorns that I found sitting next to each other– they may have come from a set.
The unicorn symbolizes innocence and purity to me. The way it’s laying on its side leads me to think that it’s relaxed or resting. Alternatively, in a much darker read of this object, the unicorn could be laying down because it was weakened. The unicorn reminds me of more modern, plastic toys of unicorns like My Little Pony, and also leads me to think about the kids (particularly girls) who would play with these dolls. I wonder if this unicorn was ever taken off of the shelf by a child to play with.
In terms of this project, I keep thinking about the resilience of innocence in girls. In my experience, girls have always been labeled as more mature while growing up, but then that puts them in a position of having to act mature when boys don’t need to. I want my project to lean into this want to be free from responsibility and forced maturation of my gender.
