Next-Door Neighbours

The sculpture expresses the importance of supporting one’s neighbour. The idea came to me at the time of the crisis in East Timor, Australia’s close neighbour. The potential drama is expressed in two doors that stand upright supported solely by a length of carved wood that joins them. If one of the neighbours releases their hand grip, then both doors would collapse. The sculpture represents the contrast between wealth and poverty, male and female, war and peace. The arms and hands are life-size and took a year for me to carve from a single length of salvaged Huon pine, which is a rare, slow-growing Australian species. The growth rings are so close together they mimic fingerprints. One hand is coloured with wash, and both are polished with wax. The vintage Australian cedar door represents peace and plenty, and the rustic tongue and groove door (from the WC in my studio) represents less fortunate countries suffering conflict. I negotiated with the army to shoot holes in the rustic door at their rifle range – the actual bullet casings are included in the assemblage. I modified the sleeves from clothing and included a haversack, an antique walking stick, and a doormat. I restored and painted the cedar door.