thehiddenhistoryofthings-blog
The Hidden History of Things
The Hidden History of Things is an invitation to shift our perceptions on how we view material objects, and show that every object we own is coming from somewhere.
What does it mean to hold onto something from the past and how does the accumulation of specific objects contribute to our personal life narratives?
In this project we will collect and give away objects of significance and through this process invite you to question, reflect and reconsider what we accumulate and why.
Amelia Ducker & Fiorella Cordella
[email protected]
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WOODEN SAINT
This was given by my maternal grandmother. My family upbringing was quite traditional-I went to church on Sundays since I was 14- My grandmother only goes to church for weddings and funerals and has always been clear about her displeasure at religion, the lack of presence it has in her life (she is divorced). As an adult, I have also come to recognise the exclusionary function of religion, particularly of the gay, lesbian and queer communities. I kept this object for so long I think because my grandmother has never really given me anything. Once she gave me coat hangers for Christmas. I kept this because I always thought of her when I saw it -kind of ironic given neither of us are religious. Since getting engaged to my partner, my grandmother has given us a set of cutlery. I think I might try to remember her through the ritual of sharing food from now on instead of an out dated memory-jog that seems very disconnected now.
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DINOSAUR IN A BOTTLE
This little guy was given to me as a gift to take on my travels. I was supposed to take photos of him at famous landmarks but he was not a very good model. He was a good travel companion not too talkative but always happy to interact with new people. I hope he can accompany someone else on their big adventures.
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THE STORY OF THE SEAL
2014 marked a challenging year for me, and this picture that I would now like to let go of, represented something of a omen for me during that time.
Arriving home to Melbourne after five weeks away in India, I was ready for the year to begin and unfold. Through the shifting in and out of multiple-share houses that were never quite right, as the weeks moved forward, my health and energy somewhat declined, and before April set in I spent more time in bed sleeping than any other activity. Eventually I found out that I had picked up two stubborn intestinal parasites, and the following months were dedicated to doing anything and everything I could do to try and rid them out of my system.
During a particularly low day and in a terrible mood, I decided to do a meditation, as something of a last resort to help lift my mood. It was very simple and not for too long. But in my meditation I imagined a beautiful beach, and a seal that swam onto the shore. After this I didn’t think about it again, and continued on as before.
3 Days later, I decided to take myself down to my parents local beach. I took my dog with me, and thought i’d just go for a short and slow walk to get some fresh air. Just as I was at the end of the beach and about to get back into the car, my attention was drawn by something in my peripheral vision. At first I was sure that it was a bird that was flying very close to the water. But then suddenly, I realised that it wasn’t a bird at all. I quickly put the dog in the car and raced up to the raised edge of the beach. And just as I had imagined 3 days previously, a seal swam onto the edge of the beach. It stopped, looked up at me, and we held each other’s stare for felt like a while.
Although it would be easier to call this first time seal spotting a lucky co-incidence, it felt somewhat significant, reminding me that there is so much more at work than what meets the eye. And that maybe its possible to place our trust into that which we can’t see.
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LOTERIA GAME
I have a very weird story with this game, a story that I haven’t being able to close yet. I was doing some illustrations about a year ago & was looking for images to use in one of them. Suddenly I found LA LUNA card & loved it! I used it, printed it lots of times because I felt connected to it in some strange way. I didn’t know where that card came from, I thought it was a Tarot card. A few months later, I went to get a coffee and walked into a very random shop. When I entered I saw the card was there, with many other cards of the same kind. I was very surprised and I talked to the owner to ask about them… He told me the cards were part of a Mexican lottery game that he got from a market over there… He gave me some of the samples of the cards and offered to print them all if I wanted to. I kept them with me, and from that moment I started finding the cards everywhere I went! They just appeared in front of me in different ways (on someone’s shirt, inside a wallet that was opened next to me, etc…) The last episode I had, was a few months ago. I went into a shop to buy something and when I was about to leave the lady in the counter asked me: “Hey, would you like to have this game?” I couldn’t believe it! So, here it is… The whole game. I’m giving it away to see if this is the way of keeping this going.
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The Enormous Orange Elephant Kite Enwrapped in a Camouflaged Khaki Bag
This enormous orange elephant kite enwrapped in a camouflaged khaki bag was given to me as a birthday gift many years ago. It was given to me by a lover I once lived with and given to me with a great amount of thought and with that thought an enormous amount of love. In thinking hard and wide about my chosen object for this instillation it has made me think about the act of letting go and more specifically what I am ready to let go of from the past. This object represents a letting go of sorts of a very big time and a very big relationship.
In thinking and pondering on the art of letting go it makes me think of how we embark on this act and what role the universe plays in these happenings. Since moving to Melbourne in 2011 after a parting from this lover I once lived with it has been strange that I was never to see this person again for almost 4 years even though we both lived very close, actually in adjacent streets in Brunswick. It has however been a strange occurrence that I have in recent weeks driven past this lover I once lived with twice. As a kind of observer in my car both times she was standing in front of me oblivious to my presence and it was in some way very cathartic and settling to see her smiling, happy and as a different person to once I knew. Time plays a large role in the change of us all perhaps. The universe I believe may have something to do with when we are ready to see things and when in turn we are ready to let go of that which we may not have been ready to before. This was in some ways very fortuitous timing for which I am now with an incredibly beautiful lover that I am to live with and who makes me see things in a new light every day.
In letting go of this very much thought out gift I am now ready for someone else to embark on the mission of trying to fly this enormous orange elephant kite enwrapped in a khaki bag which I was unable to and actually in truth never got around to attempt. There are very carefully constructed instructions, which also seem in keeping with the Uncommon Places theme. One, which is of upmost importance, is to make sure that you are securely fastened to something so as to ensure that you yourself do not get carried off in the wind with the enormous orange elephant.
It may or may not fly by the very nature of it’s size but it also makes me think of Dumbo and by his very nature all he had to do was to believe he could fly with that infamous feather and he could and did so with such delight. I wish whomever you are who ends up with this enormous orange elephant kite enwrapped in a camouflaged khaki bag that you can fly it high and far, along and in keeping with your wishes for the next stage in your life. I myself am very happy to be embarking on another journey with a wonderful lover where we will fly far and wide in other ways that are impossible for me to even imagine yet but am very much looking forward to.
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BEADED COLLAR
These pieces belonged to my mother who passed them on to me many years ago knowing that I would treasure them being creative with interest in history and a love of beautiful things.
They have an origin in Braidwood NSW which is the oldest country town in NSW on the Southern Tablelands. This was a strong farming community back in the late 19th century and still is these days but a lot of the town's economy is now based on passing trade at the galleries and cafes.
handmade by my grandmother who lived in a shack on the edge of a creek in a settlement 15km from the town. Despite her hard life and having had five children to bring up on virtually nothing her husband being damaged in the great war and unable to maintain a regular income she was a woman of strong beliefs one of them the importance of being well groomed when out in public. These collar pieces are a testament to that.
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CAMERA
In 2006 I took the course "Scientific photography" during my bachelor degree, and next year I started work as assistance professor in the course until 2010, but I did not have a camera. So I saved payments for the first 6 months and I bought this camera. I started to uses the camera all the time, especially in field works to take pictures of insects that is my passion.... but the forest in my native country is to humid (But it is the perfect place for the most amazing insects). With the time the humidity enter inside the camera and the camera started to have problem with the electronic device. I travelled to Australia in Jan/2014 and in the middle of the trip the camera just stop working and never again turn on. I always had the hoped that the camera will work again, because was my first camera and it was very difficult to let it go.
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TAMPONS HALF FILLED
My friend gave me these in passing and it is an object that is connected to our friendship.
I started working with my friend in 2012, and during one of our first meetings together it was revealed that she had lymphoma and breast cancer. It was a quite a dark period of time, and through it, we became very close friends.
She went through chemo, had one breast removed and due to lymphoma ; she had to get her ovaries removed. Which in turn, meant that she went into menopause early.
she no longer needed to use tampons anymore
She would always find extra tampons and pass them onto me because she never wanted for them to go to waste.
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FELT ARM PIECE
This beautifully coloured felt arm piece was given to me recently by a very dear friend who is a talented textile artist. However she does not work much in felt but has a friend who does so and exhibits widely in Australia and this is one of her pieces. I have a felt brooch that she gave me many years ago which I am rather fond of.
However this felt arm piece is not really something that I would ever wear. I know it is not my style except for the colours which I love. I have donated it to your project as I know there will be someone out there who will love it and wear it and I cannot bear to keep it living in some corner of my cupboard for the rest of my days only to be tossed out when I go. So enjoy.
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I made this from the clay in our garden. My son in law insisted on telling me that my soil was not clay. The only way I could prove to him that we had clay soil was to dig it up, hand build and fire two pots. He has the other one !
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1998- This was my first ever business card. I was doin my third year undergraduate Bachelor of fine Arts majoring in illustration –so, designing your own card was very important. I haven’t had a business card for at least 10 years now since the internet and social media became predominant part of our lives. Now, I just say type my name and you will find what you need. I miss these little conventions though. Maybe it’s time to re-visit.
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I bought this angel in Chile, it used to decorate our house back there. When we moved to Australia, 5 years ago, I brought it with me as a reminder of my home. Is been travelling with us for this 5 years decorating every aussie house we’ve been. Now, is time to move on.
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I’m not sure where this red cotton spool came from – it’s possible it once beling to my Nanna Helen, who was very crafty. I have been holding onto it for about 8 years. I’ve used it for some sewing and for decoration on cards and gifts
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I have grown up with doilies- my Grandmother had them dotted around her home, under precious items, as did my Mother. I have some in my home- but kept in a drawer as a memory, not on display!!
This is one of many doilies in my Mother’s linen cupboard, collected over generations. Some will have been brought to Melbourne in 1939, after her family fled Vienna. I have chosen one in honour of my Mother, who has dementia and can no longer tell me the history of these intricate, delicate objects.
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I LOVED! My heart shaped jewelry box. I loved it so much. I used to spend hours re-arranging the jewelry inside and around it. Opening and closing it. I would lie on my bed and stare at it from afar. Whenever I scanned my room I would linger a little longer where my heart shaped jewelry box was. It was so pretty. It felt extravagant, almost royal. I didn’t had many pretty things as a child because my parents didn’t had a lot of money. So, this felt very special. As you can see I wasn’t really taught how to look after things, that’s something I had to learn later in life. This jewelry box has recently made the move from my bookshelf (where it lived because I didn’t really know what else to do with it) to a glass cabinet full of curiosities. It made the upgrade is a recent move because I realized it was still special to me in a funny way, not because I enjoyed aesthetically, I am not really into pink, but because of the memories it conjures. I must admit, I’ve become a little more sentimental at late. It’s probably just a stage…
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BOOK OF DREAMS
A pertinent present from a friend!
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The Crystal bowl is not my taste but I was intrigued by it and guessed it would qualify for vintage. Mum gave it to me a few years ago and I kept it for nostalgic reasons. I kept beads in it for a while but would like to think someone who might really like this piece could enjoy it or as my friend Julie suggests make something artistic for the garden.
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