The name of this miniature 6x12cm wall sculpture (19x25x5cm mounted) is Not Drowning, Waving. The pieces of wire reminded me of a beach scene at Bondi.
I created it from a piece of ply with one angled edge and a protruding nail, a piece of black ply, four pieces of wire and a battery. The bits and bobs I found on the streets of Sydney during holidays – hence Bondi on my mind. The boards I found in skips parked on the streets in Melbourne.
I made this work in 2017. It appeared in the exhibitions From the Streets of Melbourne (Melbourne City Library, 2018) and Grand Designs (North Melbourne Spring Fling, 2018).
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 may suggest a meandering river. Rusted sheet metal can transform itself into a cloud. A broken tile becomes a mountain.
The found objects themselves often stimulate my more abstract works. These I sometimes place in juxtaposition, such as cream chargers and hairclips. At other times, I emphasise their rusted, scratched or variegated surfaces.
I take a strong interest in sustainability in my arts practice through repurposing and upcycling. My hope is that this artwork makes you smile. At the same time, may it remind you of the 5Rs to help our planet: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle.
