This small 9x14x3cm wall sculpture is a cityscape called Moonrise in the Rust Belt 1. It can sit happily on a bookshelf or desk, or even in a workshop, as a decoration. Alternatively, it can be used as a paperweight.
I created it on a piece of yellow-painted board, using miscellaneous rusted cylindrical pieces of metal for ‘buildings’, a rusted strip of metal as a ‘river’ and a silver-coloured disk as a ‘moon’. All of these bits and bobs I found on the streets of Melbourne during my daily walks.
Found object assemblage artist
Working as NancyDee Sculptures, I am 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. In Moonrise in the Rust Belt, a rusted strip of metal was transformed into a river.
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.
Committed to sustainability
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.