slung over the shoulder or clutched between fingers, the purse is a container that conceals from view  confidential information about its owner. it is a private space which has been designed specifically as a means for transporting the personal through public space. its loss or theft can initiate panic on the part of its owner. the purse represents not just monetary and informational loss (the wallet carried within) but it also contains highly personal items; it is a time capsule which represents the ownerís identity, diverse interests and activities. photographs, keys, objects plundered from restaurants, sexual aids, medication, ticket stubs, makeup, address book, identification, cheque book and wallet are all hidden within its interior. the purse is a microcosm of the self which is as unique as a signature or finger-print. the contents of no two purses would ever be the same.

          why do we as women (and increasingly men) carry this object around with us, this personal space that is displayed so prominently in a public context and immediately tossed aside in a private one.

          the purse is the ultimate voyeuristic device as its mere presence attests to secrets that are held at bay form the viewers inquisitive gaze. what does a woman carry in her purse? why do they vary in shape, size and colour? purses for different occasions, for different times of years, for different rituals and cultural contexts. it is a luxury item, a designer cash cow and a statement of class. it is ubiquitous and ordinary, fashionable and desired. there are varying modes of display; the purse that is held close to the body at night; the strap that traverses the body on a diagonal to avoid against theft; the purse that is flung carelessly by the confident woman; the discreet purse of the business woman; the battle weary bag of the multitasking mother; the transparent bag of the teenager who exhibits her possessions without restraint. every woman has an anecdotal story about her purse.

          the purse is a physical structure but it is also a system of spatial organization that turns on questions of gender, economics and class.

          as a conceptual point  of departure for an exhibition, the purse is rich in associations. it is a simple object which can act as a catalyst for a broad range of discussions and actions. as a material object, the purse is ubiquitous and readily available in thrift shops, closets and garage sales. as an instrumental object of historical inquiry it is largely untheorized and therefore offers the students a unique opportunity to explore questions of cultural representation and display.