Artist Statement

Boat propellers, wood, newspaper: this is ‘flotsam and jetsam’ in its most literal sense. The work aims to present the lost and forgotten without restoration — an assemblage of disconnected parts. Each ship named on the propellers sunk in different locations during different eras, and this work pays homage to those ships lost at sea.

Artwork Process

Taking the names of famous shipwrecks, I hand-cut stencils and screen-printed these names onto stainless steel boat propellers with printing ink. I also adhered paper and newspaper articles about these wrecks onto timber discs. I then arranged the propellers and discs into a totem pole arrangement, stacking them on top of each other and securing them with stainless steel bolts.

About the Artist

Name: Amy Arrowsmith
School: Mountain Creek State High School
Artwork: Connected Remains
Media: Stainless steel boat propellers, wood, ink

Art, in all its forms, has always been a fascination to me. Although it is not often thought of as the most academic of subjects, it offers insights into endless elements of life. As an artist, this creative type of expression has not only uncovered some of my previously overlooked personal attributes, but it has inspired me to research and explore topics I would have never considered if art were not my hobby. Similar gains in understanding came from simply viewing a piece of art. This highlights just how uniting artistic processes really are.