Garrick

Garrick has had such a fear of swimming that he has regular sessions with a psychotherapist. After nearly a year of little progress, she eventually suggested that he might be better to engage in swimming lessons rather than therapy, but if not, then at least he should identify with a strong character with natural swimming ability. The therapist had meant this symbolically, as a totem to give Garrick inner strength in difficult water-related times. Garrick, however, took her literally, and a chance spotting of a costume in the bargain bin of the local costume hire felt like more than just coincidence. in the costume hire changing room Garrick became Gill-Man, from the movie The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). Despite wearing it every day for a month, it has not really helped with his fear of water. But Garrick is not too worried, because he is considering going back to the therapist to get counselling for his even greater fear of dogs. This is mostly because he knows a superb Lassie costume is in the same bargain bin, and that's a much better costume to wear with the approach of winter.

Garrick is also an articulated ceramic wall puppet and he is modelled by hand in stoneware clay, twice fired, decorated with ceramic glazes, and finished with a cold glaze. He is approximately 32 cm long, and can hang on the wall by nail, hook or tack.