Giving and Not Giving

The pair of similar, though not identical, sculptures entitled Giving and Not Giving was made for the solo exhibition of the same name. The works in this exhibition were driven by ideas relating to my search for information about my family's 'back story'. This 2-part sculpture tells about pieces of my experience - the physical environment, spaces and suburbs, material security, and my sense that there is always more to know about that isn't available, usually rooted in the family's history forever tied to my life but predating my life...so much I got, and so much I didn't. Wood often feels to me like the material of the record of experience, a humble imitation of sorts. Aluminium is an inexpensive metal, cast in the same way as bronze, for instance, a much more highly valued metal. The fish forms are a reference to abundance, since I feel my life to have been as much about receiving as not receiving. The whole is crisp, neat and complete, a reference to the picture that is painted by memory and ordinary family photographs.