Commissioned by City of Melbourne's Love Lock project, Devotion threads references to a history of metal objects exchanged as symbols of love. 

 

The enormous necklace (3 x 2.5meters) makes an association between the modern Love Lock ritual and the uniquely Australian Convict Love Tokens. These were pennies that convicts would engrave with messages of devotion, prayers and farewells. Often the coins were threaded onto ribbon to be worn around a loved ones neck.

 

Devotion is an extremely large necklace, constructed from hundreds of the engraved padlocks. Scattered throughout the necklace are coins; cast from the original padlocks. These are engraved with significant quotes about love. The quotes were collected from the public via social media. Paying homage to the public ritual of clipping a love lock to a municipal structure.

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Conversely to the locks, which are personal gestures subversively attached to public structures. The Convict Coins were currency, deliberately taken from circulation, defaced, engraved and exchanged with loved ones to be worn privately and intimately.  Cont...