Piggy Bank

2017. Pig skin, found object, cotton, audio.

Piggy Bank is a work composed of found object, raw pig skin and sound. This work was heavily influenced by Bourne’s first pig skin installation and performance, Grandma’s Patchwork Blanket, in which she performed robed in a blanket of sewn together pieces of pig skin. Piggy Bank is a sculptural object and sound installation consisting of a purse constructed of raw pig skin, which emits the grotesque and loud sound of pigs fucking. This work tackles social issues surrounding consumerism and economy, highlighting the repulsive nature of capitalism, a system which relies and endorses gluttony and greed in order to function.

The title, Piggy Bank, explores the storage of personal currency in a childish way. It references the practice of giving children a toy which encourages a compulsion to collect capital, instilling in them from a young age these principles.

The purse is an object symbolic of personal wealth and an individual’s participation in the economy. Bourne has reworked this symbol into a slimy, fleshy purse, which at first glance appears seemingly harmless, but upon closer inspection reveals it’s true nature.

The materiality of the pig skin, alongside the audible presence of pigs mating, contributes to the repulsive nature of the work, whilst alluding to the vices of desire and greed upon which our economic system depends.