Jill Stevenson — 'Stockpile' Chair, 2021

Created toward the end of 2021 during the last lockdown provoked by COVID-19 in Melbourne, Stockpile captures a poignant time, where access to resource was severely limited and the value of aluminium began its steady rise. Each aluminium ingot stores 7.5kg of molten and merged found and post-industrial scrap.

Material scarcity stirs and a scramble to secure sustainable material impels. Aluminium, abundant in our earth’s crust, it’s supply seemingly secure, is in fact finite and fragile. Practices to extract and refine this material require an extreme amount of energy. HOWEVER, in it’s processed state aluminium is endlessly recyclable.

Could aluminium be our last resource?

Infinitely recyclable, is it our hottest commodity? In a rudimentary stack topped with a sand bag seat, a dystopic future is pondered. The knockdown form is sand cast from gathered aluminium scrap, and ready to be recycled, or, does it await another layer to be poured? 

Ingots may be purchased individually by request.

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Jill Stevenson is an interdisciplinary designer and artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. Jill's interests lie in speculative and experimental design, focusing on the intrinsic qualities of materials and their place in our landscape; natural and built. Her work is research driven and adopts a constant questioning of matter, form and context. The resulting musings are often articulated into detailed pieces with a playful approach to both theme and object. Jill holds an Associate Degree in Furniture Design from RMIT and Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Queensland.

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Everyone’s heard of a dragon  

Curated by James Lemon and Bobby Corica

11 November  23 – 27 January 24 

Read about the exhibition

Material: sand cast aluminium, used foundry sand, polypropylene bag

Dimensions: variable approx. 33 x 30 x 42cm