Summary

This mass of fused glass, ceramic and metal was found in the ruins of a home in Skyline Road, Yarra Glen, which was destroyed by fire on Black Saturday, 7 February 2009. It contains the remnants of household objects including a green glass vase which had been a wedding present and blue-and-white china from the owner's grandmother. There are two metal containers at the bottom of the mass, one a storage jar with clip lid (the lid now missing) and a silver cup.

This object was part of the exhibition 'Resurrected: Objects, Memories, Stories' which ran from 28 March to 30 May 2009 at Three Stories Artspace in Healesville. It was donated to the museum by the owner, who is also the proprietor of the art gallery in which the exhibition was held.

Physical Description

Mass of melted and fused glass, clear with green swirls through a portion, embedded with pieces of blue-and-white ceramic and the blackened remnants of two metal containers.

Significance

This object was created by the extreme temperatures of a major bushfire and represents the destruction of a home and its contents, yet it has a strange and fascinating beauty. It challenges our ideas of 'destruction' and offers an alternative vision of 'transformation', one embraced and expressed by the donors. At the same time, through the shards of family china and melted glass, it reminds us of the cost of this process. In many ways it parallels the transformation of our natural environment through bushfire. Its inclusion in the exhibition 'Resurrected' represents one of the many ways in which the community responded to Black Saturday and its effect on their lives.

More Information