This miniature freestanding sculpture is called ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’. It is mounted on a black rectangular block of wood found on the streets of Canberra. The garden comprises a flat piece of metal with ‘waves’, silver-coloured screw ‘flowers’ and a sprocket washer ‘sun’. I found all the pieces of metal on the streets of Melbourne. It can sit on a bookshelf or desk, or even in a workshop, as a decoration. Alternatively, it can be used as a paperweight.
I work as a found object assemblage artist and jewellery designer, creating 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 that suggests a meandering river, rusted sheet metal that transforms into a cloud, or a broken tile that becomes a mountain.
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.
I am committed to sustainability in my art through upcycling trash I find on the streets, beaches and in skips. 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.
