I created this 15x15cm wall sculpture called Christmas Nut Tree 2 from a white tile, door opening mechanism, nuts, skirt fastener and ball bearing. It comes with a metal stand to displaly on a mantelpiece, book shelf or desk.
Gathering the pieces
I found all the pieces, except for the skirt fastener, on the streets of Melbourne. The fastener comes from Laos. There all the female government workers wear the traditional folded skirt called a sinh. I worked there as a volunteer for several months in 2019 for the Health Sciences University.
Well, true confessions: I also cheated a bit on the ‘tree trunk’ in this work. A friend brought me the door latch turning mechanism after she had changed her locks. I said I could only use things I found on the ground. She then promptly dropped it so I could pick it up. A special feature is that the bottom of the ‘trunk’ still moves up and down when you push it.
Found object assemblage
I am a found object assemblage artist and jewellery designer working under the name NancyDee Sculptures. I create wall sculptures, 3D sculptures and brooches from metal, wood, tiles and plastic I gather from the streets. My art is inspired by a strong interest in sustainability through repurposing and upcycling.
My inspiration
The Melbourne skyline, especially at sunrise and sunset, inspires many of my works. Often I try to incorporate ‘natural features’. A bent nail may suggest a meandering river. Rusted sheet metal can transform into a cloud. A broken tile becomes a mountain.
The found objects themselves stimulate my more abstract works. Sometimes I place two or three types, such as nuts and hairpins, in juxtaposition. At other times, I emphasise their rusted, scratched or variegated surfaces.
Sustainability
My art is inspired by a strong interest in sustainability through repurposing and upcycling. So many of our Christmas decorations are transient, purchased a few weeks before the holiday and discarded a few weeks later. This one will last!
My hope is that this work finds a permanent home and that every Christmas, it makes you smile. At the same time, I hope it reminds you of the 5Rs to help our planet: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle.