Nellie Peoples

Bifocal

The Bifocal series of brooches draw on inspiration from the horizon lines of Canberra, Australia. Gazing at the mountains is a collective and shared experience. The brooches evolved into memory markers. For me I could not examine and make with the Brindabella range in mind, without thinking about the Black Mountain bushfire in December 2001. It that came down the mountain and lapped at the streets not far from my childhood home. As well as the devastating firestorm in January 2003. Living centerally in Canberra, I didn’t experience the fires first hand, but the atmosphere in Canberra at that time is still very vivid, along with the blackened hills once the fires were out. 

 

I have come to realise  during the making process that as much as I drew dots, lines, forms, patterns and textures of a specific place to create these objects, my emotions and memories are patterned by these loactions. My hope is that by gazing at these objects you are transported to your personal specific place, and are reminded that we are connected to the ground on which we stand.

 

Exhibited at Mark Marking, Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre, Canberra, Australia 2018 and Brooching the Subject, Pine Rivers Art Gallery, Strathpine, Australia 2019