Subtext: Jane Austen’s Bedroom
Octopus
Rups Cregeen
sand cast bronze, 2022
Displayed in Jane Austen’s Bedroom
Austen uses the liminal space of shore to represent an escape from the imprisoning domesticity experienced by her female protagonists. A bronze octopus signifies a sensual, mysterious creature that alludes to a sexual awakening, and the possibility of independence, experienced by Austen’s female protagonists.
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Full Immersion
Julia Keenan
video on digital screen, 2022
Displayed in Jane Austen’s Bedroom
The sea is a recurring motif in Austen’s novels, is a symbol of transformation and escapades alluding to sexuality. In her last unfinished work Sanditon, a fictional seaside resort is central to the unfolding narrative.
This film references the outside world, the sea, gardens, and the bucolic Hampshire countryside set within the dynamic bedroom space. The Moon, used as a motif is suggestive of ocean tides and the synchronicity of female monthly cycles.
Read Julia’s Letter to Jane ✉️
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