George PHILBEY – Queensland
Royal Australian Navy (2006 – 2018)
Visual Arts ~ Program 17.2
Artist’s Context – Since 2010 I have struggled with instability in both of my shoulders and have had multiple surgeries which caused pain and restricted my movement. In 2017 I underwent a total fusion of my left shoulder which led to the end of my military career and a diagnosis of PTSD.
At the end of 2017 I participated in the ARRTS Program. I have always been creative and for years called myself a woodworker however the shoulder fusion severely limited my mobility and what I could do. Essentially, I could no longer rotate my left arm or lift it above 70 degrees. The visual art program in ARRTS 17.2 gave me the ability to explore my disabilities in an environment filled with some of the best instructors I have come across, with access to creative mediums that I did not even think about in the past.
It was a challenging time that placed me outside of my comfort zone and removed all structure, something which being in the Navy for the previous 11 years I found very difficult to cope with. The support provided however made me see that life does not end outside of the military and there are endless possibilities for recreation, creative outlet and physical/mental therapy.
George PHILBEY, 2017
‘Copper Rose’
Copper shim and solder
Artist’s Context – Sculpture: Copper Rose
This piece was a complete accident. I had originally wanted to make a miniature t-rex out of copper as the running joke in my family is that I am now a t-rex as I have severe difficulty reaching anything, just like having t-rex arms. During the program, I was walking through IKEA on the weekend with my wife and we stumbled across some glass domes like in Beauty and the Beast. My wife fell in love with them so I offered to get her one and she said only if you put a rose in it for me. This got me thinking, I could make a rose out of paper and put it in there but with changes in temperature and the general moisture in the air I didn’t think it would last very long before it started to sag.
Then I remembered that I had access to a bunch of thin copper shim material from the program. They also had a small hand held blow torch and I had some solder lying around that I could use. I then proceeded to make a rose as I would out of paper but used the copper instead and soldered all the joints together. Whilst soldering I realised that the copper was changing colour, going through all the tempering colours (blue, purple, yellow and black) so after a bit of tinkering I ended up making a multi coloured rose fit for an eternity. I even gave the piece the name ‘the Beast Within’ an homage to the fact the rose was given to the Prince/Beast from the old lady in Beauty and the Beast.
George PHILBEY, 2017
‘Scrap Heap Warrior’
Ply, steel pipe, fibreglass, copper shim, spray paint
Artist’s Context – Sculpture: Scrap Heap Warrior
I wanted to make a strand-beast or at least my version of it. I started to put together a plan for one that I could sit on. Unfortunately, this was going to be a bit cost prohibitive however I was undeterred and ended up continuing with the project. One of the instructors has a passion for repurposing used items into new forms of art. She brought in old mannequins, piano parts and pretty much anything you could think of. As I was looking at the pile of objects on the floor I started to get a picture in my mind of this mannequin’s torso sitting upon 4 legs that you could turn with a hand crank.
After much trial and error in getting the mechanics right I came up with my scrap heap warrior. I just kept adding ‘stuff’ until I thought I had something. Miraculously it came together into one of the biggest sculptures/interactive piece that I have ever made. I chose the name Scrap Heap Warrior as an homage to modern and future battle fields where robotics are slowly becoming the norm and the challenges faced by our soldiers.
During the program, I was introduced to Leatherwork by a visiting pastor. I have previously wanted to try my hand at leatherwork however never had the tools or knowledge to give it a try. I made a few things like a notebook cover and knife pouch but they were very rough. This kindled a fire within me that I was keen to grow. I had enjoyed the leatherwork and thought that the skill had potential and it was something that I should continue.
(click on images to enlarge)
After I was Medically Discharged my family and I moved to a couple of acres south of Brisbane in Queensland. About a month or so after I was talking to my neighbour and she mentioned that there was an old leatherworker nearby that wanted to teach. His son did not want to learn leatherwork and he was of the opinion that you can’t take the knowledge with you so wanted to pass it on. I got in contact with him and it turned out he is a Master Leather Craftsman with over 54 years of experience.
Slowly but surely, I learned everything that he wanted to teach and I found that the intricate carving and plaiting helped with my concentration, soothed my PTSD, significantly reduced my hand tremors and I was able to create things despite my limitations. This has started me on a wild ride that will not end any time soon. Now I am not mainstream by any means. Traditional leather carving has flowers, horses and curved patterns. I was talking to my now mentor and decided that there is no reason that I couldn’t put anything I wanted on the leather. This gave me a creative outlet for some very strange and wild designs.
Each item I make is unique, functional and built to last a life time. I challenge myself every day. I will look at an image and think there is no way I can carve that into leather, it is just too difficult. That usually ends up with me sitting down with a piece of tracing paper copying it out and starting to carve. There are many times where I stop put my head in my hands and wonder what have I gotten myself into. Despite the challenges, I believe that this has helped me grow as an artist and greatly improved my skills.
These days I have a small website, Facebook and Instagram page that I showcase my works on and sell them. I don’t do this to make money — it is simply a self-sustaining hobby that lets me go out and buy a new tool or some more leather every now or then to keep things going. I do this first and foremost as I get great enjoyment in seeing some of the things I can make. I put completed works into shows to get judged against other leatherworkers in my area. I also do this as it gives me an outlet. There is not much that I can do these days. I am unable to work and having nothing but time on my hands lets my mind wander to very dark places. My leatherwork gives me purpose, focuses my mind and lets me work through my issues at my own pace.
www.crazycraftsman87.com (website)
@crazycraftsman87 (Facebook)
#crazycraftsman87 (Instagram)
There is so much that I want to write about what I did in the ARRTS program and how little things that I made whilst there have sparked ideas for bigger and better things however I don’t particularly want to turn this into ‘War and Peace’. Instead I will sum it all up by saying all in all, I am living a much happier life now thanks to the support of my family and the creativity that I rekindled in the ARRTS program. I look forward to making many more weird and wonderful things in the future.