Everyday, artist Katie Horwich finds a discarded copy of tabloid newspaper, The Sun and paints the clothes that she is wearing onto the bare, naked Page Three girls. What started as a diary project while working in Boots chemist, where the compulsory uniform is an ankle length white pleated polyester skirt, and a navy tabard designed by Jeff Banks, has become an eight year magnum opus.

“It was a hot summer and I didn’t want to suffer alone so when I chanced upon a copy of The Sun on the pavement in front of me, I took it home and painted my unfortunate outfit onto Nikkala,” says Katie. Finding a copy the next day, she did the same. It soon became a compulsive ritual where she would scour the streets for discarded copies of The Sun, and then paint her days outfit onto the sartorially impoverished glamour models.

“Now, eight years later, I’m still extracting Becky from beneath a commuter’s heel on the tube,” she explains. “Peta’s more often than not in the Chinese take away at closing – until one day we open the paper and they’re not there anymore.”

‘Page Three Girls’ is on at Deptford’s Utrophia Project Space until 26 June, 2010.
www.utrophia.net

Tags: katie horwich, page three girls, the sun, utrophia project space