This 36x52x2cm found object assemblage wall sculpture is called Spanner in the Works. Materials include metal grids and grills, handle, spanner, circular bristly thing, thick bent wires in nice shapes, and who knows what else. It is mounted on a metal sheet that looks like it might have come from a stove. All of these bits and bobs I found on the streets of Melbourne.
This work was included in my solo exhibition In the Drawer: The Silver Lining at the Melbourne City Library Gallery in late 2021-early 2022. Later in 2022 it was in the Creativity Cluster exhibition Do You See What I See? at the Joel Gallery in Altona.
What inspires me
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. Others are based memories of temples and pagodas from my travels in Southeast Asia. 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.
Strong interest in 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.
