Description
‘Holding it Together’ series emerged in response to the 2022 floods and blends solid timber with sharp-edged metal seemingly spilling from an unseen interior. These public artworks were scaled up from small sculptures that were part of the Ash, Mud & Tears exhibition and were exhibited as part of SWELL Sculpture Festival 2024 at Currumbin, Queensland, and the Brunswick Nature Sculpture Walk 2024 at Brunswick Heads, NSW.
Like their smaller counterparts, the works explore the uncertainty of what’s solid and the hidden aspects of internal landscapes, reflecting a heightened vulnerability and sense of exposure. Pressure to “hold it together” persists, driven by the likelihood of more frequent climate events in the future.
The artwork serves as a thought-provoking commentary on the impact climate change triggered events are having on our landscapes and communities.
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. These works are a change of pace for Michelle in her art practice. They won the SWELL Emerging Artist Bursary 2024.
