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Artworks
Patsy Hely
"I read some time ago that the Romans utilised haptics to commit something to memory. The word/idea/thing etc to be remembered would be silently repeated at the same time as the lobe of one ear was pinched between two fingers. To keep this as a private act, some wore rings with a miniature earlobe modelled on the upperside that could be rubbed secretly/furtively when the occasion arose. I don’t have a ring but I have taken to the ear pinch method and it works, sometimes, for me.
I’ve based these handmade and held objects on the idea of touch and the written (rather than spoken) word as a mnemonic, and have chosen three unrelated subjects that, to me, are worth remembering:
A Rose Robin. Seen in a Canberra backyard a few weeks ago. These are relatively rare and just lovely: such a treat to see.
Weereewa Lake George. Near the ACT/NSW border, this lake has been mostly dry since the 1970’s, apart from a very short period around 1990. It has been filling now since 2020 and it’s such a great sight: full of water and full of birds. It may empty again, but I’d like to be able to retain a memory of it as it is now.
Alexei Navalny. Although he is most likely not perfect, Navalny nonetheless has shown real courage and is a rare beacon of principle and integrity in a landscape littered, at this particular time in history, with an overabundance of venal, self-serving leaders and public figures. "
