Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Nested rust

Barry mentioned over on his blog that as we tidied up the block in preparation for the Open Studios in August, that we got distracted and sat and sorted through his rust pile.

We grouped and categorised everything and just as I was about to toss all these left over fragments of rusted wire, I started laying them out, thinking to myself how they looked like a language, hidden, indecipherable text - glyphs from another land...


I started imagining using them as a form of writing; then I started to lay them over each other and make patterns.


And then I began laying them over each other in a more meaningful way - building up an upside down rust wire 'nest'.  I was thrilled and intrigued and loved it just sitting there upside down.


Overnight I started thinking how much I wanted to stick them all together, so in the morning we sprayed them in situ with a spray adhesive. Not with a great deal of confidence I must say, as I have really only ever used it with paper.

Barry let me know that after I went to the gym in the morning he checked on it and discovered that it had kind of 'set'. I couldn't believe it and when we got home today after chores and business around town he showed me.

I picked it up, I turned it over, I held it in my hand.

I had built a rusted nest.



20 comments:

  1. Love this nest, and love how you "got' to it, Thanks Fiona.

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  2. Oh, that is just toooo adorable Fiona, I LOVE IT! As well as the secret language that was presented within your process, I ponder on its message?

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  3. Oh! My! Gosh! I viewed Barry's post on the long drive home from the beach on Sunday, salivating over his rust collection and nearly hyperventilating over your inverted rusted nest. To have it set is...well...beyond fantastic. I'm practically jumping up and down over here, can you tell?

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  4. I loved the pieces at every stage! Your eye for exploring the possibilities is always thoughtful and inspiring.

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  5. F, this is simply awesome! How wonderful that you came at this beautiful piece with such a spirit of openness and experimentation and it turned out so perfectly!

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  6. I'm amazed that it held together with spray adhesive!! It was meant to be Fiona.

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  7. Wow - I love the nest SO SO SO much - it's all about the contradictions - nature/man made, soft/ hard, old/new, organic,/inorganic. Is that the wire I gave to Barry - hint, hint xoxoxoxoxo

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  8. It looks unanimous Fiona - we all love this nest and want it!I love how it has come about from doodling with waste pieces. Makes it even more special. Lesley

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  9. Just gorgeous!! Here's to the magic in that glue.

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  10. Lovely! And who'd have thought spray adhesive would work like that?

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  11. As a collector and lover of bird nests- and rusty metal- you managed to get both of my loves in one.

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  12. Thank you everybody! I wasn't planning to post on Tuesday, but I just had to after that wonderful experience! We have been on the road again, home tonight, so apologies for not replying to you all earlier.

    Liz - glad you love it and enjoyed the journey...

    Kim - yes the language imagery is strong isn't it? I wonder what it was saying to me as I played...

    Jennifer - I smiled big and wide imagining your happy dance all the way over there! It's its own little miracle isn't it?

    Jann - thank you; I thought it was special when it appeared.

    Jo - I love seeing how other people develop things, and this one started in such a different place to where it ended up; but that happens when you get into the zone and just play. Some would call it wasting time - heaven forbid!

    G/Tt - I think its an example of where openness and experimentation can take you - no forcing of anything, just a little voice saying "I wonder what would happen if..." Glad you liked it!

    Jo - yes, I was amazed as well - will watch and see how it holds longer term, with great interest. I agree, it was meant to be!

    Noela - its quite stunning isn't it? (I feel OK saying that as I kind of feel I didn't make it - it made itself under my hands) I agree with all your thoughts re the contradictions, and so want to put something soft and downy inside it.

    Lesley - it's has hit a chord hasn't it! I'm glad you love it too - and it was a wonderful, playful time - sitting in the sun, doodling away as you say. I took the first two photos as I thought I might use them as images for some language work - and then they become part of the nest process...

    Annie - yes, I shall go and look at the ingredients - magic indeed.

    Amanda - I agree - I dreamed and hoped and wished and didn't truly believe; yet it held!

    Donna - its a magical combination, unintended yet perfect. Nests are truly wonderful creations; and this little one has its own special character.

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  13. Heartbreakingly lovely....if this isn't the most perfect example of thinking through your hands, I don't know what is. So perfect. Thanks for making my day! P.

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  14. Hi Patti - thank you so much. You have captured it perfectly; thinking through your hands...thank you

    V - I agree! Very cool!

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  15. Fiona, I just saw this post, I can't believe I had missed it...
    Well, this nest is INCREDIBLY and AMAZINGLY FANTASTIC!!!
    Beautiful work and such a great way to present it here, with all the steps that led to its being...
    Huge thank you for sharing!

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  16. Remarkable and such a reflection of how your work "came together" to create something from what was before. I wish you would tumble an image of your rusted nest... I want to reblog it!

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  17. Anna I'm so glad you found it - it was a bit of an unexpected post. I am still a bit dumbstruck by how it came together, and still in love with my nest!

    Hi Leslie - I'm on the road away from all my photos will try to remember to tumble on return! It's a pretty special and unique little piece isn't it?

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  18. You are forcing the viewer to look at the pile of these rusted nails.
    One can only see the beauty in them.

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.