‘Unbounded’ is a project I’ve been working on since the beginning of the year alongside three friends and fellow artists Gaia Maria Walicka, Jennifer Baulch and Nao Hirata. We all recently finished studying at RMIT (where we met) and decided to start catching up regularly to discuss our work, share resources and collaborate. Our first project ‘Unbounded’ evolved from these catchups. Through our discussions we found crossovers between each of our individual practices, in particular that we all circle around ideas of ‘the in-between’ and ‘the interconnected’ but from different viewpoints.
Wearing lots of brooches from ‘Stuff’ (ongoing series)
For this project, I continued to develop my ongoing series ‘Stuff’ while also working on collaborative drawing and sound works with the other artists. My ‘Stuff’ body of work explores our relationships with our things, in particular the everyday objects that end up in constant contact with the body. Objects such as chairs, switches, doors, utensils, clothing and (of course) jewellery. I’m interested in the objects that become worn and used, those that become less identifiable as the shiny commodities they once were. In doing so, I consider how these objects move to a place in-between or outside traditional systems of categorisation as they take on meanings, stories and traces of their past. Drawing from my observations, I combine familiar elements to create objects that are less recognisable. The objects no longer fit within the conventional ‘order of things’ and become uncategorisable stuff. In observing my everyday environment, I also notice it’s shared, complex and interconnected nature. That the contact zones between people and stuff are examples of a networked materiality – an intersection of social, political, environmental and economic forces.
Selection of brooches from ‘Stuff’ (ongoing series)
‘Unbounded’ was due to take place at Rubicon ARI gallery. Rubicon is a large space (the largest space I have ever had the opportunity to exhibit in) and I was very excited to play with the installation of the works and to make some larger scales pieces. Unfortunately we had to move our exhibition online and I made the decision to show my larger scale works when we are able to install them in a physical space. As a group we also decided to save our collaborative works until this time. I was a little disappointed with my own online presentation. I spent a lot of time making the work but didn’t leave myself enough time to properly explore presenting the pieces in an online format. I wish I had been a bit more experimental and considered with the display and perhaps made a video work alongside the series as I have in previous projects.
Still looking at and thinking about chairs!
Finally the 3rd project I was involved in was through RMIT called Rendering: Jewellery and Objects, exploring the different ways we, as object makers, use rendering (drawing, model making, collage etc.) within our processes of developing work. I contributed the following works with accompanying artist statement below.
“I collect traces of encounters between people and things, gleaning objects and materials that are worn or decayed; signs of interactions and use. I look to the everyday stuff that accumulates in our drawers, pockets, attics, cupboards and in piles on the street.
Through photography, drawing and collage, I turn my attention towards aspects of my collected archive, combining familiar elements to then create something that is less familiar. Drawing allows me to explore elements of this archive more deeply and develop ideas of what the final objects could become.”
Phew! It has certainly been a busy few months in the lead up to Radiant Pavilion but what a fantastic week! Big thank you to Chloe and the rad pav team for all your hard work. Many of the projects, including ‘Unbounded’ and ‘Rendering: Jewellery and objects’ are still due show in galleries when things open up again here in Melbourne – I can’t wait!