| Accession Number | AWM2018.343.1 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Art |
| Object type | Sculpture |
| Physical description | Singer sewing machine and bobby pins |
| Maker |
Ely, Bonita |
| Place made | Australia: New South Wales, Sydney |
| Date made | 2018 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
Singer Sewing Machine Gun
Description
Singer Sewing Machine Gun is an artistic interpretation of the Vickers .303 medium machine gun. A Singer sewing machine and bobby pins are configured to form specific components of the gun.
The art work is a personal reflection of Ely’s childhood in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Her father served in the Middle East, New Guinea and Borneo with the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion. Like many veterans, he was changed by his experience and suffered from what Ely describes as “untreated post-traumatic stress disorder”. The form of the Vickers machine gun references her father’s service, while the singer sewing machine and bobby pins illustrates the domestic duties performed by her mother at home.
The clash of a machine of death and machine of domesticity illustrates the tension caused during the turbulent transition to civilian life for servicemen following war and the broader effect on the family unit.
This artwork is based on the ‘Singer Machine Gun’ that is part of the installation ‘Interior Decoration’ (2013–2017).