This found object assemblage wall sculpture is called Granny Catches the Big One. It is 8x23cm in size and is freestanding. I created it on a slotted piece of wood that had been painted by a friend, Pat Duncan. It includes various weird pieces of metal: a Japanese grandmother charm, hairclip, hook, curled sheet metal offcuts, and pieces of plastic and ceramic. I found these bits and bobs on the streets of Melbourne.
Exhibitions
This work has appeared in two Melbourne exhibitions. It was included as an example of joint artists’ work in the Creativity Cluster exhibition Melbourne: Our Creative Heart in the Docklands Library in December 2022. It was also in the Creativity Cluster group exhibition Make Art, Not Landfill (part of the Sustainable Living Festival) at FOUND:ling Reusery in Geelong in 2023. Now it’s available through FOUND:ling Reusery in Colac, which specialises in reclaimed and repurposed products.
My Inspiration
Working as a found object assemblage artist and jewellery designer, I create wall sculptures, 3D sculptures and brooches. I limit my ‘raw materials’ to the metal, wood, tiles and plastic that I gather from streets and skips.
Many of my works are inspired by the Melbourne skyline, especially at sunrise and sunset. Often I try to incorporate ‘natural features’. A bent nail can suggest a meandering river, rusted sheet metal transforms into a cloud, or a broken tile becomes a wave ready to surf.
My more abstract works are stimulated by the found objects themselves, which I often place in juxtaposition. At other times, I emphasise their rusted, scratched or variegated surfaces.
Sustainable art
My art is inspired by a strong interest in sustainability through repurposing and upcycling. My hope is that this artwork makes you smile and, at the same time, reminds you of the 5Rs to help our planet: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle.
