Gold Drunk
Film, 2024
Responding to the theme Not Made in Great Yarmouth, the film Gold Drunk reflects on the legacies of colonialism and migration and the artist's interest in female themes. Tracy Satchwill draws inspiration from a museum's collection and her interest in female power. She explores the monumental figure of Britannia, as a symbol that represents Great Britain and the British Empire. The artist examines this stone statue, which has no character or personality and creates a powerful monstrous beast fuelled with intense emotion/experiences, including greed, anger and power. Satchwill comments, 'I love how this sweet and innocent Goddess-like figure who represents the British Empire becomes the villain and makes us question whether Great Britain is that great'.
Satchwill uses various artefact images found across Time and Tide Museum to create a collage animation, taking the starting point from the cabinets of curiosity, to produce the body of the monstrous Britannia. The colourful surreal museum, found inside the body, is developed from the interiors of the museum's Elizabethan House, also located in Great Yarmouth. As well as the beast, there is a museum monitor bot, an Asian jewelled butterfly and imprisoned curious object characters. The title Gold Drunk is loosely translated from Gullveig, an old Norse goddess, who was also obsessed with gold.
The project was developed during an artist residency at the Time and Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth. The artist also worked with the students and staff from East Coast College to create curious object characters inspired by the museum collection. Using AI software and other digital tools, they gave a voice to the objects and people not from the area. The film of their work, together with the film Gold Drunk and works by the other artist-in-residence Grace Lee, formed the museum's first digital exhibition, Not Made in Great Yarmouth.
The project was commissioned by Time and Tide Museum with Art Fund support.
