'... a sanctuary for the dispossessed, or alternatively a sacred space salvaged from the rubble...'
In the making of Give Me Shelter (in moments of madness) my thoughts were about both sanctuary and chaos. I wanted to make a sanctuary for the dispossessed, or alternatively a sacred space salvaged from the rubble, or a home for a recluse. In the final work, a clad 'skin' constructed of materials from demolished buildings, sets up an opposition with the warm inviting interior of the hut. It is like an echidna with its protective shell. You have to venture beyond the exterior and your initial perception to find what is inside. One crosses a threshold on entering the hut into a quiet, nurturing, warm space. While I was making the work I enjoyed how the materials I collected all came with their own histories and resonances. For example, the piece of seagrass matting was like that found in so many homes in the 1970’s, especially in sunrooms (often reclaimed parts of the verandah or an old garage) and other liminal spaces of the house that were on the verge of being drawn into the internal infrastructure of the 1980’s home. Or the 50’s lino from an old house still impregnated with the pungent smell of lamb chops cooked on a griller. And the floral carpet that reminded me of the cloistered feeling inside the 1940’s suburban bungalow that my great aunt lived in.Placing the work in the gallery completely aestheticised all the fragments. Using an artists eye for combining objects through shape and colour I think I have made the fragments live again.
© Penelope Richardson 2006. Copyright of artworks shown on this website belong to the artist. No reproduction of any image shown on this site may be made for any reason whatsoever without the artist's permission. Please contact for any information regarding usage.
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