George Walker: The Protector (detail)

THE PROTECTOR, c1997 47 x 40 x 25 cm Ceramic, vitreous slips

This piece is about collateral damage to the innocent when there is a war, either externally in the world, or an emotional war between the male and female parts of an individual’s psyche.

The male is the warrior with the shield and helmet. The female is in a state of sorrow, but the destructive part of her, represented by the demonic female form on her back, is in control of her. The innocent party, represented by the child with the turban, is the one in the middle that gets injured. The turban is actually a bandage which represents an injury to the psyche of the child.

The child has to find wisdom and a way of coping however it can. This wisdom is represented by the bearded man, a person who thinks and who is not ruled by emotions.