Kenny Pittock, McKenzie's Bi-Carb Soda, ceramic, sculpture, 2019
Summary
Artist statement
My Dad and brother have always loved fishing, so much so that growing up we had a special freezer under the house just for storing the fish they’d caught. One summer the freezer conked out and two years worth of future fish dinners all went off. The house stunk so bad I thought we’d have to move. Mum sprinkled some bi-carb soda into the freezer and miraculously the smell disappeared.
But bi-carb isn’t just for removing fishy smells, apparently it’s also a toothpaste, an exfoliant, an antiseptic, it cleans your pots and pans and swimming pools, it’s a pet shampoo, it will soften your unwashed paintbrushes, it relieves insect bites and stings, it helps acne and it soothes sunburn. Just add cornflour and vegetable oil to your bi-carb soda to make a play dough volcano, and then use a little more bi-carb soda to make lava erupt out of it.
Bi-carb soda has been improving our lives for thousands of years. It’s also been improving our deaths for thousands of years- apparently the ancient Egyptians used a version of bi-carb to keep their mummified bodies dry and free from bacteria.
Centuries later, in 1852, the great McKenzie's Bi-Carb Soda was created in Australia by the H.S.K Ward family. This nostalgic powder has hidden in the laundry, kitchen and bathroom of every house I’ve ever lived. Long before I knew what it was or how to use it I’ve felt comforted by the familiar presence of this magical little blue and white box.
