Details

Size: 30cm wide x 40cm high wall hanging; 30cmm deep.
Materials: Brass coffeepot, saucepan lid, lighting fixture parts, tongs, curtain rod ends, old marbles, industrial electrical plug parts, Christmas lights, old phone cable, tea tray.
Date: 2023. Note: requires USB for lights.

Art From Trash

Still Ahead was made for the annual “Art From Trash” art show in 2023 at the Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart. Organised by South Hobart Tip Shop, perhaps the premier tip shop in the state, though Mornington is pretty good as well.

Here’s the artist’s description I wrote:

Years ago I picked up an old coffeepot with broken legs and spout from the scrap yard. I just
liked the shape and used it for incense. Then it went to the shed for a while, until it 
happened to come together with the ball thing from an old lamp. Still Ahead was alive!
It didn't take long to find ears and horns, all sorts of things will do the job. I needed 
new tongs for the barbie anyway. 
The eyes took a bit longer to get right. They are big marbles glued into some sort of 
electrical plug bit from Margate tip shop. My happy place, me & my partner went on our 
first date there! An old tea tray and a mystery aluminium wreath from the tip shop make 
a fine plaque.
Some Christmas lights, an old phone charger and bits from my big box of electrical junk 
make the eyes light up.

The Story

As I was entering Aurora in the show as well I wanted to do another piece, but was a bit stuck. Then inspiration arrived from the usual source: the Shed. I was looking through a box of old pots and bits and I found the broken brass jug that forms the top of the head, and then I found a ball shaped bit that fitted perfectly in the mouth of the jug, making a perfect mouth, I think it was part of a standard lamp. Instant head! I’ve made a few trophy heads over the years, so I thought that I’d make another, as they are a bit folk-arty, variations on a theme: onto a head goes horns and ears, and some eyes, the whole lot mounted on something flat.

Description

The two head parts are put together with a spring, which means that the mouth bit is movable side to side, which gives a small variety of expressions. The mouth also makes an admirable card dispenser. The silver spot on the head is where the handle was soldered to, but looks like it belongs there. The horns were made for the ends of fancy curtain rods and do the job very well. The ears were from an old rusty set of tongs.

The silver eye surrounds are plumbing fittings: they hide the mess where a pipe goes through the wall. The eyeballs are old worn glass marbles glued into some sort of electrical fitting. Behind the marbles are more of my colour changing LEDs. They are controlled by the large switch on the bottom of the plaque, with a fairly unnecessary bit of flexible metal conduit for a bit of a steampunk look. The plaque is an old tea tray, with an aluminium wreath from somewhere bolted on.

The Reception

Someone must have liked it as it sold at the show. Hope they enjoy it. And that it keeps working, but the LEDs are running at very low power so they should last forever.