Saturday, November 17, 2007

Work in Progress - a fighting heart



1940s wallpaper, wedding album tissue, dried weed, plaster fragments, book clippings, snail-eaten paper edging, 19th century letter.


A bit nerve-wracking, this one. The letter I'm using for the backdrop is a solicitor's note from England, and 135 years old! I've never owned anything that old- being in Australia means this stuff is rather hard to come by for an affordable price. God bless eBay.

The writing details an amount outstanding for a bill- the receiver hoped to pay in installments, but the company for whom the solicitor represents have requested a lump sum firstly, then installments.

I already had the little collage in the corner made up on the table, and going through the precious little pile of letters this one seemed to fit the collage perfectly. There were other letters in the pile dealing with wills and failing businesses, and a very mysterious letter which states 'I have thus far been unable to find the boy'.

There must be such a hidden story there. Thisis one of the things I enjoy so much about my process; the everyday things- postcards, letters, buttons with fabric scraps attached -they are remenants of people long gone, countless unrecorded histories of ordinary lives. I like to think I keep a little of that in modern memory, if only for those who see my work.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Inspiration




Eugenio Recuenco's glorious fashion photography, found via the ever-inspiring Flickr.

Having just on 3 weeks to have everything ready for the exhibition is starting to be a little scary- not half so scary as the fact that I haven't even received the invitations yet! It's a good thing I've told everyone I've seen. I have four finished pieces ready to go. Well, I say ready...I'm sure they'll be tinkered with more. Nothing I make is ever finished until someone takes it away.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

It was easy enough to remind himself of all these things...

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All These Things
Mixed media box construction 2007

Ingredients:

+ cardboard
+ 1940s wallpaper
+ vintage book pages
+ antique buttons still encrusted with dirt and fabric scraps from their last owner
+ 1960s sewing pattern
+ the core of a vintage paper flower
+ crochet
+ plaster detail from a broken picture frame
+ ordinary cardboard, wood and glass.