Sleeping Partner 'bed is a place I can only dream of' (Insomniac)
This project is a result of my experience of living with an insomniac. This is not at all the same as having insomnia and can only be viewed as one take on what seems an incurable condition. I am interested in the hope inherent in hopelessness, which seems to be achieved by living through a situation.  The project is necessarily a very pers  onal view of how it feels to live with an apparently endless and unrecognised disability; one which is not only debilitating to the sufferer but which costs their partner and family in unnoticed but profound ways. The sleeping partner is an ironical comment; the definition literally means the person who can sleep easily but it could be applied to the insomniac whose condition does not allow them to fully contribute to home life.   The piece consists of a bed made up with embroidered sheets and pillows, two sets of pyjamas and a video piece. I also hope to run a computer point where viewers can access an insomnia chat site which I have set up. The bed sheets has two body outlines filled with whitework embroidery words, which describe how each partner feels about the experience of living with insomnia. The two pillows are appliquéd with an X and Z made of white fabric respectively. The pyjamas are made from winceyette screen-printed with a pattern that uses words describing well-meaning advice that is regularly and frustratingly offered to both insomniacs and their families. The video will show night time footage of myself and my partner sleeping (or not, as the case may be).