Memories of Underbelo
Underbelo is an important part of my life and is the inspiration for this foam core box of found objects and 3D sculpture.
The box itself is both a container for objects and a representation of the building.
The house is a mixture of the old and the more recent, its weatherboard walls often need painting and its gutters cleaning.
Inside the furniture matches the exterior but changes more frequently. There is always a couch in constant demand for reading or relaxing; both with visitors and the dogs. Books are left on or by it, ready to be picked up again. The one on the couch is a record of the names of those who have regularly holidayed at Underbelo. The raffia lamp has been in the room for as long as I can remember.
Christmas and Underbelo are inextricably linked in my mind. Each year the family gathers to celebrate Christmas and spend at least a few days together. A chance to catch up with those not seen for the last 12 months. The first few days of every holiday are taken up with decorating and preparing for Christmas and the decorations take some time to be cleared away. The washing line is a constant especially with young children and being summer there is a constant parade of bathers and towels on the line. Fortunately it has a great view.
The photos are a mixture of our views and scenes nearby.
On the shelf above are many of the bits and pieces found on the beach. In particular the sea glass represents the glass found on the beach, the bottles we collected as children to sell to the bottlo and the collections we now take to the tip each day!
The making of this box evoked so many memories for me. I hope that when I take it down to Underbelo this summer that my family find it just as evocative.
