I made these works for Coastal in 2008. I’m separating them out from the crowd on the original post because I like them, and because i wanted to link to them from here.
The photos were taken with a very low res digital camera, nowhere near as clever as the one in my phone now, 17 years later, so I apologise for the quality. The original works didn’t sell (some did, not these). They hang around my house on coffee tables for a while, but have now been assigned to the artist’s works heaven.
A collection of tiny drawers
Jane Simmons had given me a set of jewelery or spice drawers (like a tiny chest of drawers). I printed the poem in several different fonts and used it to line the drawers. Each drawer had a “found” object related to the poem
a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troublesa stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
plus a few other drawers – I spelt out the word “crab” in tiny letters (meant for bracelets, but that’s fine), and added some tiny fish (also meant for jewelry), added a key and a cool button thingy in a spiral shape, like waves.
Round displays
These were the packet from La Vache Qui Rit cheeses.
Again lined or decorated with the poem printed on the page.
Mer spelt out with a clock and a tiny shell, the background painted lilac
Sea (with a V because I’d run out of letters e), with an earring that really did look like a world, and some plastic shells.
A tiny diorama
Was this a watch box? i lined it with the poem (in two different coloured papers!), added a star and some shells. It’s cave-like. Added some stones / beads on the top. And there’s a tiny mirror inside the shell, so you can see yourself.
It’s now years since I mad these, but I still love them, and can see a lot of foreshadowing of works I continue to make now. My technique got better. my camera got better, but I’m still the same.
Clam Shells in a box
James and I had clams at a restaurant. I saved the clam shells. I think it was in Australia, not overseas, so don’t panic about the sea viruses! Box could have been for anything – chocolates? a watch?
Again, lined with the poem. By this time (assuming a timeline that may not have existed) I was just putting pretty and significant objects into the shells – beads, bits of earrings, jewelry making ephemera like the little plastic locks, some of which I still have in my box of tricks).
Looking back on these old works I’m impressed again with how much effort I put into making things which eventually I toss out. I keep saying the joy is in the process. But there is also some joy in the outcomes and seeing the old photographs! Thank goodness for dropbox.
