Place-Meant (click on image above to see gallery)
Artist Statement
The work I have created for Place-Meant centres on Lake Eyre. A place I have only visited via books and videos but it holds a mystical place in my heart. It is the place that draws the water from where I now live in Queensland, all the way down our huge nation to rest in the state of my birth, South Australia. The water becomes a symbol for my memories. They ebb and flow with the seasons of the year, sometimes returning in full flood to my hometown, other times only a bare shadow on the salt.
“When the water comes” represents how my thoughts often flow home. In flood, the richness of the memories are beautiful to contemplate: childhood, family, friends. Lake Eyre in flood is equally beautiful, attracting much birdlife and rekindling the life that hides in salt and mud below the surface.
“Lost and Found” is set after the water has soaked into the ground or evaporated away. Other thoughts float to the surface, these are more painful: missing family and friends. On the Lake, life has become very hard. Young birds born late in the season perish, unable to fly away, while the life cycle of the water born ends.
Combining acrylic and textiles I have explored the journey back to my home state through the journey of the floodwaters. The painted surfaces are cut through, making the shadows on the wall part of the artwork: a play with time as the shadows change with the time of day.
Works:
Title: Lost and Found
Size: 100cm x 80cm
Medium: Acrylic on Lutradur (spun bonded synthetic fabric)
Title: When the water comes
Size: 100cm x 80cm
Medium: Acrylic on Lutradur (spun bonded synthetic fabric)
