Alterations: Home Sweet studies

- a co-creation with Mr Ziggy

Words by Jo Grant

There is a faint rustle in the corner, a comforting kick of tiny rabbit feet and a zoom across the room. Mr Ziggy lives with Sydney artist Sandra Winkworth and they are bonded. It is a mutual respect and a particular communication they share. As she describes it, an honest relationship. Bunny turned up in Sandra’s life out of the blue, almost like he found her. Living with him she has discovered an equal partnership; she and Mr Ziggy share similar needs and personality traits. The joy in this bond has led to an unexpected but natural creative collaboration.

Sandra’s world is full of collected and saved items that reflect her consistent and quietly activist approach as an artist. In recent projects she has made delicate paintings of endangered species and wildlife on found pieces of rubbish, forcing us to think about our impact and somehow making what we discard beautiful, as though we can’t ignore it. Her dedication to making comment on the environment and how we impact our world and our community is at the centre of her practice.

Her work with Mr Ziggy is a delightfully pure response to their relationship and bond. Sandra offers Mr Zigz an empty box and leaves it with him for a few hours or days. He chews and burrows as a form of enrichment and nesting. Sandra withdraws the box when she feels he has finished with it and responds with a painting, drawing or 3D piece. Time is key here; some pieces may take longer than others and each one is different. She allows Mr Ziggy’s chewed holes and marks to guide her to what the piece will become. The result tells the story of connection, of community and our environment at a time when we need it the most. Looking at the work we feel joy, and see the beauty and paradox of our relationship with the natural world. 

“We truly are bonded now and love each other..it was so unexpected and he’s so sweet. He really likes his alone space, otherwise  when in his presence I could perpetually pat him or would just hand over those damn snacks he goes bonkers over!”