Teresa Milheiro

Big Sucker

Portugal, 2010

Materials:

Resin with pigment, silicone and silver

with bath gold

Techniques:

Carving, moulding, welding and chemical

process bath gold

Dimension in cm:

4.5 x 3.5 x 29

Artist Statement:

This work is an object to pierce on the body

as a leech and a octopus. When the  leech is

pierced on the body  it has a continuous

blood  sucking and the octopus has  several

tentacles  to reach all the sources he wants.

While the piece would be pierced  in the

body it would become larger. The concept

from this work is based on the a analogy

between an animal who lives from sucking

blood from another animal and the big

power countries that are permanently

sucking the natural riches from vulnerable

countries leaving any chance for

sustainable developing. The black color is

connected with the black gold (oil) and the

search for these sources that supposedly are

becoming more rare. The form from the

object  is connected with those animals that

where above-mentioned with a big head in

black resin  that is the main  center body

and the big flexible legs to reach completely

different points of search and with the gold

needles on the end legs that means  just the

countries with, money, power , technology

and knowledge can make the prospection

from oil and the other riches (as gold,

diamonds etc) The elegance and perfection

of the object form, means the  political  talk,

very correct,  very  polite to  control,

dominate and  force the vulnerable

countries  to accept the rules. That seems to

be a new form of colonialism.

blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah,

blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

blah,blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah,

blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, blah,blah,

blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah,

blah,blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah,

blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, blah,blah,

blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah,

blah,blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah,

blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, blah,blah,

blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah,

blah,blah, blah.

What was your starting point or your

inspiration for doing this project?

The starting point was the feeling that is

very unfair that the populations from the

countries  with conflicts are being killed

permanently and the politics from lidding

countries are always the same and in the

end anything change.

Do you have a personal (or other)

connection to the exhibition’s theme?

yes, I have a emotional connection with the

theme because  is impossible to not be

touched with all the conflicts that  exists

and not asking  why. The global

population should start to ask themselves if

the unilateral information that is given by

the media and politics is true, is correct or if

there is more points of view about the

reality.

What were the main reasons for choosing

the materials, shapes or technique in your

work?

I choose the resin with black pigment

because plasticly it was perfect material to

carve the head from the animal  and

because it  represent the black gold, the

silicone because is completely elastic for the

idea of tentacles that can be placed

wherever I want and the gold needles

represent the power and money that   just

the big powerful countries have the to suck

it.

What kind of feeling you wish the viewers

will get from your work?

If the object would be pierced  in a body , I

think the people would have repulse,

repugnance , when it isn't pierce I think

provoke curiosity.

If you could give your Jewelry to an

important figure in the Middle East who

will he/she be? and why?

I would duplicate the object and give to all

the presidents from the lobbies  that are

behind  the presidents  from countries that

make part from  the G8,  because just they

have the power to change the politics if they

want.