Description
This work was developed following the sculptures in the Ash, Mud & Tears exhibition held in collaboration with Jude White at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery at Ballina, NSW.
‘First & Last Generation’ is a small sculpture work from found and reclaimed materials including timber from a dining table salvaged after the 2022 floods in her hometown and old nails gifted to her by her late father. The textured surface was created by charring using an open flame. The house on tall nails elevating it far above the ground with the smaller house structure nestled at its feet reminds the viewer of the serious inter-generational nature of climate induced disaster events such as bushfires and floods.
The title of the work, ‘First & Last Generation’ was inspired by the Barack Obama quote – ‘We are the first generation to feel the impacts of climate change and the last to do something about it‘.
Michelle’s eye for unconventional beauty draws to the worn and scuffed and rusty. With silversmithing and jewellery design as her first areas of arts training, Michelle brings that focus on the smallest details to her 2D and 3D work.
