Reflection.

The last minute things are always the most fiddly. I have been doing a lot of engraving on mirrors as reflection seems to be a what I am engaged in. The leaves on the mirrors are a way to get other people to see themselves as a part of this work. When they see themselves in the mirrors their view is obstructed. The last three mirrors are text based. I wanted to write the words Witness and Whiteness as white people don't usually recognise their whiteness, ie their privilege. Interestingly the most expensive mirror I have bought came from the UK and is silver with a tortoise shell back. (I didn't know it has a tortoise shell back until it arrived) It was the mirror of privilege and I was planning to write Whiteness on it, having already done Witness on the other one (see previous blog) Anyway I messed up the text. It turns out that although I have become quite accomplished in engraving images, text is another thing altogether. Luckily for me my friend Will Francis the master jeweller took out the mirror and replaced it for me and added a beautiful silver attachment at the end of the handle so I can hang it. Of course this was perfect as I had already engraved another mirror with Whiteness so the text on this expensive and beautiful mirror had to be Privilege of course. It will hang upside down so I am hoping people will pick it up and look into it, reading privilege on their own faces.
The chair is finished too, just have to have a few more antique nails put in.
I am now looking forward to this show after being a bit of a princess for a while, feeling that 'it really should be in a more important place'. I think I was just reacting to my resistance to being seen as a community artist. A label I have always rejected. Politically I love the Footscray Community Art Centre! Its a perfect place to show this work.

An Australian colonial tapestry (The Hentys)

Needlepoint and antique chair

Nature Morte

Engraving on Mirror