Found objects, sterling silver settings, stainless steel brooch pins

I work with material that has been left behind, discarded or dismantled by the process of everyday use, stuff that contains what archaeologist Michael Shanks calls the “background noise of history and experience.”

I survey and gather material from sites in my surrounds, my front gate, local parks, streets and waterways, namely the Merri Creek.

Overtime I am beginning to observe a trace that suggests something unique about the city I live in. For instance my house is the distance it takes to eat an icy-pole from the 7-Eleven; if you find one beer cap walking down a laneway there is a good chance you will find another of the same kind; and approximately 50 metres from McDonalds their white plastic spoons can be found.

The material trace I collect informs me about the people, the culture and the environment in which I live and it determines what I make. I can’t just order the material I want, or find it in the condition I need. For certain outcomes I am reliant on the weather and those who go before me.

 

Tags: consumerism, environmental, found objects, jewellery