ARTIST: Denise
DATE: 2024
MEDIUM: Acrylic on canvas
‘I know the power of water – both good and bad. As a woman with physical disability – specifically cerebral palsy, which means I walk with crutches, I have embraced water as a source of opportunity and potential. Water has been a place of personal growth, independence, and freedom.
I learnt to swim like ‘all’ Australian children are encouraged to do for safety, given Australia is surrounded by water and water is central to play and socialisation and it was that for me. The water is a place where I can walk by myself and exercise. Being a Paralympian Swimmer at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games, the water resulted in me being selected to represent Australia, travelling both nationally and internationally seeing parts of the world and meeting people I could have only previously imagine. Water enabled me to grow, develop a key part of my identity, as I am respected because of my swimming achievements. This is the good power of water.
I have experienced housing insecurity and homelessness – courtesy of construction delays, building faults and water entering my family home in an unwelcomed way and flooding my home, negatively consuming my life, and destroying some of my most precious belongings from my childhood and other significant life events. My canvas was crinkled accidentally as it was drying when it started to rain. This was a happy accident, as it to me reflected a scrunched-up bit of paper, just like what people do when they want to, or have to, start over, which is what I had to do along with my parents. Believe it or not, it was not a totally negative experience – I had to be resourceful, use my professional knowledge and skills. I also had the opportunity to personally grow. To reflect the mixture of emotions experienced during this period of time, I merged both blue and brown paint together, the blue paint reflecting the positive possibility of water and brown paint reflecting the dirty nature of flooding water.
I created my artwork with the physical assistance of a practical assistant due to the nature of my disability. So, I could create my artwork in the way I wanted to. It was also fitting that the artwork was created with the assistance of someone else, as that is how my experiences of housing insecurity and homelessness were addressed – with the assistance of my family – both biological and of choice.’
– Denise