My project ‘Wedding Dress and Message Fish’ contains the first eleven poems in a poetry collection titled 'Ghost Light Suites'. With magical realism and illustrations weaving throughout, ‘Wedding Dress and Message Fish’ follows the story of Francesca, who loves old things with mysteries attached to them. She works at the photography restoration studio but is reluctant to digitally erase the textures and creases of photographs that were folded into pockets because of the history and stories that would disappear. After being fired from her job, Francesca goes back home to try on the second hand wedding dress that she bought at Vinnie’s. She hears ghosts promise to give her old photographs if she extracts the story of its owner from the dress. But who is the woman who keeps appearing throughout her quest? What is the message she whispers to the fish? And how will Francesca hold up her end of the ghost’s bargain?

I have a preoccupation with memory and possible histories and narratives. The concept behind the work is based on my experiences of going into op shops and wondering about the past owners of the wedding dresses for sale. I also worked briefly at a photography restoration studio and have always been interested in old photographs and their stories.