Name/TitleScreenprint: The Ship Sinking Witch
About this object'The Ship Sinking Witch' was one of two screenprints created by Isabel Greenberg for her Weemin's Wark exhibition, Eetum Peetum Penny Pie. ‘The Corbieing Witch’ and ‘The Ship Sinking Witch’ both play on the harmless language of children’s counting songs with the supposed sinister crimes of two witches. One is tried for sinking ships, and the other turns herself into a raven and cannot change herself back.
Starting with the archive of material amassed by Gaada and members of Up Helly Aa for Aa, Isabel was intrigued by the contrast she saw between the historical importance of women’s work in the fabric of Shetland society with the continued exclusion of women from parts of the Lerwick festival. The starting point for the piece was a book which detailed transcripts from historical witch trials on Shetland and Orkney.
MakerGreenberg, Isabel
Maker RoleArtist
Portfolio TitleEetum Peetum Penny Pie
Date Made2020
Period2020s
Medium and MaterialsOrganic, paper
Hand printed silkscreen print on Somerset Satin 300gsm, printed in 3 colours
Inscription and MarksBack, bottom left, in pencil: "A/P"
TechniqueScreenprint
MeasurementsH: 750 x W: 565 mm
Subject and Association KeywordsArt & design
Subject and Association KeywordsWitchcraft
Subject and Association Keywordswomen's work & labour
Subject and Association DescriptionWeemin's Wark was a dynamic programme of community workshops, cultural research, artist exhibitions, and publishing activities which took place between January 2020 – July 2021. It was developed by Gaada with support from Up Helly Aa for Aa, Glasgow Women’s Library and Creative Scotland. The project worked to increase the visibility of women’s contribution to contemporary island culture. Weemin’s Wark provided a safe space in which to examine notions of labour for Women and allies who challenge structures of social and institutional inequality.
Isabel Greenberg is an illustrator, writer and graphic novelist. She is the author of three acclaimed graphic novels ; The Encylopedia of Early Earth, The One Hundred Nights of Hero and Glass Town. She also illustrates children’s books and is a lecturer in illustration at Camberwell College of Arts.
https://www.gaada.org/weemins-wark
https://womenslibrary.org.uk/exhibition/weemins-wark
Named CollectionGlasgow Women's Library
Object TypePrint
Object numberGWL-2021-56-2
Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved