Central Road, Ashfield, 2131 (2023), Mixed Media, thread, and watercolour Each work is 21cm x 21cm
After discovering last year that my Great Great Grandfather was the caretaker of Ashfield Town Hall in the 1930’s, I also found out that my Great Great Uncle and his family lived on Central Road, across the street the from the Town Hall. Central Rd used to exist where Ashfield Mall currently is, specifically Kmart and Woolworths. This series is a combination of my imaginings of what Central Road would have looked like, overlayed by the reality of Ashfield Mall. There are no photographic records that I can find of Central Rd, instead the works are based on my Nanna’s and Great uncle’s memories while also taking inspiration from archived aerial photos.
The works consist of a series of watercolour paintings, overlayed with creative machine embroidery and photographic collage. The watercolour and thread convey the past and the collage elements represent the ‘real’ aspect of Ashfield now. In no.9, through the open door you can see the inside of Kmart, with the Kmart logo blending in with the metal lace work. The houses are what I dream them to be and what I wish were still there. I wanted to combine the past with the present, while exploring the relationship between living in Ashfield 100 years ago compared to living here now.
