The Pram in the Hall
“It represents what, and who, we think about and is made up of real as well as false dreams.”
– Sacha Craddock on To Do Lists
Taking the difficulties she found in combining making art with being the mother of two young children (and the endless to-do lists she found herself making) as her starting point, Instone collected numerous prominent and inspiring women's to-do lists and made a number of art works from her own lists. She also invited members of the public (who came in their thousands) to add their to-do lists to a large scale installation.
Focusing on how our to-do lists reflect our state of mind, The Pram In The Hall is is a meditation on how we spend our time as women (from domestic chores to our work, from food shopping and washing machine repairs to socialising, manicures, children’s name tapes and taking pets to the vet). The project taps into the passage of time itself - each list a suspended moment - and the division of domestic work between men and women.
Instone believes lists are intimate and honest portraits and have an unselfconscious beauty from being written only for the writer’s eyes - also that lists can be empowering - both in the writing and crossing off.
THE SEVEN DAYS OF THE WEEK
Giclee prints with hand applied glitter
THE SEVEN DAYS OF THE WEEK
Giclee prints with hand applied glitter
THE LIST PROJECT
CONTRIBUTORS
The lists contributed are an inspiring testament to how we fit it all in and a cathartic unburdening. They offer a fascinating and unique insight into the juggling involved in 21st century life.
An incredibly diverse selection of women took part - from the arts, human rights, politics, fashion, finance, medicine and more. Emma Freud’s list includes getting secret santa gifts, ringing Jason Donovan and writing to Melinda Gates, Fiona Banner’s offers an intriguing glimpse into her working practice and Shami Chakrabarti’s has buy cotton wool, get Christmas tree and re-read Counter Terror-Bill - Helen McCrory’s list is unprintable!
There is also correspondence about lists - Jilly Cooper writes hers in the middle of the night, Nicole Farhi doesn’t write them at all, even for the supermarket, Cherie Blair keeps hers in her head. Baroness Helena Kennedy, Alison Goldfrapp, Bella Freud, Lisa Gunning, Amanda de Cadenet, Susie Bick, Anita Zabludowicz, Emilia Fox, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Professor Parveen Kumar, Lorraine Candy, Bay Garnett, Jo Wood, Kathy Lette, Chantal Joffe, Vanessa Branson, Alice Temperley, Diana Henry, Bianca Jagger, Sadie Frost, Lynne Franks, Nazy Vassegh, Thomasina Miers, Cath Kidston and Laura Bailey are a very small selection of the women who contributed to the first Pram In The Hall exhibition
THE LIST PROJECT
THE PRAM IN THE HALL BOOK: ALICE INSTONE
Clothbound hardback limited edition art book, signed edition of 150. Contains essay by Sacha Craddock on To-Do Lists, the participants' individual lists, the artworks from the exhibition and the artist’s commentary on the lists.
