Works in Progress

Works in Progress

2019

The Deaf Culture and History art project

The tickle talker was an electric shock device put on my hand when I was 9 years old to trial a way of hearing for Deaf people and as a test for the cochlear implant development and I was chosen as one of the few Deaf children in 1988 to wear it. The Royal Ear and Eye Hospital have loaned me the old tickle talker out of the archives for exhibition and to use in my research. I have the historical device in my hands right now and no I'm not wearing it. I've begun a research into the history of the device and when I had worn it and how it affected me. I'm doing a multi-media art project on this story and the mix includes sculpture, painting, illustration, screen print, video art and art installation. Below is a few samples of the work I'm creating around the tickle talker.

I Will Never Hear Words Ever! - a Deaf story of truth; mixed medium; 86 x 70 cm; $1500 People always assume I will hear words as soon as I put my cochlear implant on. Not so! Not ever! People are blind to awareness about Deafness and they are black and white about hearing. We Deaf people never had any auditory memory as that disappeared after we turn 5 and then we've missed the chance, unless we were implanted with cochlear implant before age of 5.

Sculptures - Deaf Auslan sign language movement sculptures. These were created by wetting watercolour papers in water and then signing a word/phrase each while holding a piece of the paper that then is formed into a weird shape from that signing with my hand n then dipped in plaster to set the shapes. This first set is "I'm Deaf, my 'identity'. Communicate With Me In Auslan My Friend. How are you?" Soon Im going to paint them. Still deciding what colour!

The view facing eye level, of the Deaf Auslan movement sculpture series

2018

Progress of Sculptures of abandoned buildings

Progress of the Train 1999 Memory

The lone gray building left to rot, someone decided to put a set of simple coloured lights in them, three lights of the primary colours of red, blue, yellow. The lone building is set among tall trees and long grass.

Below is just a rough preliminary watercolour sketch of the lone building among trees and a rough 'preliminary' clay sculpture of the building with a led light in it to test how light could shine through the windows. The actual building will be thinner walls and made from both clay and board.

The memory of train rides to uni every day in 1999 brings me the inspiration to paint as part of my strong inner feelings of my past lives. In 1999, one rainy day, it was emotional, like many people have turmoils in their lives, mine was no different and it seems as we passed through Hawksburn station, a snapshot was formed in my memory of one of the platform signs of Hawksburn being broken, lopesided, seen through rain spattered windows matched the emotion that day.

Why am I painting it now? I had just moved back to Melbourne after 18 years in Adelaide and the memories came back in flashes but I did not feel sad, I felt inspired and excited that a memory could be so strong and wondered if other people had gone through the same thing I would have and maybe many will relate to this painting.

below is a rough preliminary watercolour sketch of the planned oil painting (which will look a lot better in oil)