Miracles and Charms comprises of two separate exhibitions, Infinitas Gracias: Mexican Miracle Paintings and Charming Life: The Solace Of Objects.
Infinitas Gracias: Mexican Miracle Paintings features traditional Mexican votives, small paintings created as a gesture of thanksgiving, telling personal stories of faith and prayer. Typically painted on sections of tin roof tiles or plaques, the paintings depict images of saints visiting the sick and suffering, answering their prayers to be healed or rescued from their plight.
Votive on perforated tin, 1831
Credit:Museo Nacional de Historia - INAH
Credit Museo Nacional de Historia - INAH
Short Desc. Votive on tin, 1856
Credit Wellcome Library, London
Short Desc. Miracles and Charms, Wellcome Collection
Connected to this is Charmed Life: The Solace of Objects.
Occupying the exhibition space in a horseshoe-like display case, this impressive collection contains everything from wood-carved acorns warding off lighting to moles feet used as amulets against cramping. The entire collection belonged to Edward Lovett (1852–1933) a Londoner who worked as a cashier at the Bank Of Scotland for most of his life, but was also an avid collector of objects associated with superstition and folklore.
Curator Felicity Powell
Credit:Wellcome Library, London
Miracles and Charms, Wellcome Collection
Credit Wellcome Library, London
Credit Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.
Amulet from the Lovett Collection
Amulet from the Lovett Collection
Credit:Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.
Amulet from the Lovett Collection
Credit: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.
In a world of advanced medicine and a scientific reasoning for almost every occurrence, it's quite easy to dismiss these beautiful objects as curios of a superstitious society that we've since left behind. But this strong bond to objects still very much exists today. As Felicity's short film demonstrates, even if we aren't consciously aware, we do give objects importance beyond their practical purpose.
Felicity Powell has combined these pieces with her own intricate work. Felicity creates stunning small scale artworks with wax on the back of mirrors.
Credit: Felicity Powell
Description of image content Extruding coral, wax on mirror back, 2011.
Credit: Felicity Powell
Description of image content Runaway tree, wax on mirror back, 2009.
Credit Felicity Powell
Yeti hands, wax on mirror back, 2010.
This incredible exhibition is open now until the 26th of February 2012 and is free along with the rest of the Wellcome Collections permanent exhibitions. Find out more.
All images courtesy of the Wellcome Collection.
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