Summary

Ceramic Boat Person made by Angelina Brazzale in 2002. This artwork was part of a large installation in an exhibition entitled 'Immigration, Grief, Neurological Triggers to the Spirit' held at Synergy Gallery in Northcote, 4-13 May 2002. The boat person was one of a sea of similar figures suspended on three horizontal sheets of floating perspex. The effect was a gently rocking sea of boat people. Each represented a different type of person: gay, pregnant woman, sewn lips etc. Around the rim of the pestle is a string of headline phrases from the refugee and detention centre debate.

Angelina Brazzale graduated with Honours in Literature at the University of Melbourne before completing a Fine Arts degree in Ceramics at RMIT, 'Immigration, Grief, Neurological Triggers to the Spirit' was her first solo exhibition and was her personal response to the treatment of refugees in Australia.

Physical Description

Glazed ceramic two piece artwork, consisting of a boatperson in the shape of a mortar and pestle. Mortar contains text inspired by headlines relating to asylum seekers coming to Australia. Both pieces are glazed in black and white.

Significance

The object represents an artist's response to the current refugee debate. It will compliment the immigration and refugee ephemera collection. The symbolism of the mortar and pestle is extremely effective, familiar cross cultural domestic objects turned into figurines and vessels - vulnerable, sympathetic, splashed with the political and media headlines and phrases.

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