Looking back, to look forward 8, 1991-2022 by Helen Clara Hemsley

Necklace / Narrative Pop Recycled ArtworksFeaturedbyKlimt02

The piece is one of the 10 necklaces of the artist's collection, reminiscing about past moments influencing the present.

The looking back, to look forward series has an odd sense of familiarity about it, but at the same time a perplexing feeling of not being completely sure why the objects or materials are so important, what they symbolise or where they come from. And then there is a slight feeling of sadness, and an almost desperate need to make things better again. To fix things, patch things up. Create something new out of all the leftovers of a life well lived. All this happens over a long period of time, bearing witness to the joys and pain of teenage struggles, parents and parenthood, marriage, divorce and a constant desire to make, build and share.

Looking back, to look forward 8, 1991-2022 tells the story of one of my many natural dying phases, the small ‘spoke beads’ tell of the first and almost only new bike I have ever owned, half a piece of silver testifies to my graduation project, a bit of packaging from something or other proves that I keep everything, a brooch pin holder model reminds me of a favourite brooch, and the potato print fabric was once a curtain in one of the many shared houses I lived in, in London in the 90’s. / Helen Clara Hemsley

Helen Clara Hemsley

Necklace
Looking back, to look forward 8, 1991-2022
2022
Fabric scraps, cotton cord, plastic beads (to use on bike spokes), silver, wool yarn, steel wire, plastic packaging foam.
50.5 x 14 x 0.1 cm
Unique piece