Washi tape and acrylic on cardboard
194 x 194 cm

FRAGILE - This Way Up was created by Merryn Trevethan as a way of processing conflicting feelings of dislocation and privilege experienced during her relocation to Melbourne following more than a decade living in Asia. Created on redacted shipping boxes, the artist draws with tape, creating a network of interconnected lines, some of which are unexpectedly cut-off referencing the dislocation of leaving unfinished business behind. The drawing has been cut into blocks and is presented like a Sliding Block Puzzle. One piece has been removed and the blocks rearranged, asking the question “How do I put the pieces back in the right order?”. The work also acts as a rumination on the burden and privilege of “stuff”. Having shipped her possessions, including studio equipment and artwork accumulated during her time as an “expat” to her former home in Melbourne, Trevethan explores the overwhelm of moving countries- multiple times and the challenges of trying to fit back in to a home she had left so long ago. She considers what it means to have a choice in where she lives and the freedom of movement that comes with an Australian passport. Throughout this experience, Trevethan examines the immense privilege of being able to return to a country free from wars, conflicts and the kind of political strife that many are forced to flee without anything at all. While grateful for these privileges there is a niggling sense of guilt as she tries to put the puzzle back together.