The name of this found object assemblage wall sculpture is Port City 1. It is 7x39cm in size and is freestanding. I created it on weathered wood that my friend and fellow Creativity Cluster artist, Pat Duncan, had painted blue and blue-green. She then handed it over to me. I glued screws as ‘buildings’ and a white zip pull and two unidentified pieces of metal as ‘ships’. I found all these bits and bobs on the streets and beaches of Melbourne. Rather than exhibiting it on a stand, I attached it to a black laminated block of wood to make it freestanding.
Exhibitions
This work has appeared in two Melbourne exhibitions. In December 2022, it was in the Creativity Cluster exhibition Melbourne: Our Creative Heart in the Docklands Library as an example of joint artists’ work. 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 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.
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.
