Family Tree 1
Elaine Allison
Family Tree 1
Elaine Allison
Reference
SAS0029_002
Dimensions (cm)
Height: 130
Length: 30
Depth: 30
Length: 30
Depth: 30
Materials
perspex box, screen printed and laser etched labels, thread, buttons, laser cut and laser engraved paper
Current Location
Edinburgh
Suitable Locations for the Work
- Indoors
About the Artwork
The bottom of the box is filled with a laser cut image of tree branches, which has been laser engraved with part of a family tree. Suspended above this are labels screen printed with old family photos, with information (names, places, dates) screen printed on the reverse. The labels are hung on threads which are looped though old buttons (mostly mother-of-pearl) sitting on the top of the box.
Background, history, commissioner of the work
This work was made for an exhibition called In Perspextive at the Royal Scottish Academy. Invited artists were given a perspex box as a starting point for their work.
Thematic/contextual information
'Family Tree 1' and 'Family Tree 2' both relate to my exploration of identity, and in particular how my own identity is shaped by my relationships with family and friends. The two works listed both feature archive photographs of my own family, and a family tree which has been a rich source of inspiration in my work. The mother-of-pearl buttons are a reference to playing with my grandmother's button jar when I was a little girl.
