continued…
In everyday life strings are long thin malleable forms variously called, yarn, thread, strings…and are everywhere, a building block of our everyday existence, we only have to look down at the clothes we wear to see multiple “strings” being enmeshed together to create protection and /or decoration for our vulnerable bodies in the form of textiles.
Textiles provide a powerful analogy for the planet and the life on it – textiles exist because of their actual form – the interweaving of strings (most usually at 90 degrees to each other) if this structure is interfered with the textile looses its integrity and begins to fall apart – we have all seen this if a hole develops in a textile – the edges fray and it becomes a weak point from which further damage occurs with relative ease. The fabric of the planet is far more complex than 90 degree interactions and we as a species are compromising its integrity and threatening our very existence.
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string theory exhibition dates were: 2 March — 3 April 2011
Statements for individual works:
fragile surface
This work can be seen as an analogy for out planet. The connecting surfaces being different aspects of our existence. The lower set of strings could be removed and all might seem to be ok, the knitted surface remains suspended but it becomes a bit wobbly, there is a disconnection from part of our existence (I would say that we have disconnected from knowing nature and recognizing that without it we do not exist) Also the topography created on the knitted surface by the lower strings disappears and our environment becomes less diverse. This work has a strong connection to textiles in that like textiles it is the actual structure of its repeated elements that creates its strength.
The knitting used in this work is tin wire – it was knitted over about 4 months. It is interesting to note that humane barb-less fish hooks used are not available in Australia and were sourced from the UK.
grandis
I planted a Eucalyptus grandis (flooded gum) in my back yard about 8 years ago – it is now about 4 stories high. When it was planted as a tube stock it was not much more than one of the sticks in this work – it now drops numerous sticks like these. Sticks that most likely bore the tree’s flowers and now are no longer needed – in a forest they would return to the earth to become nutrients for future trees. About half of the sticks used in this work are from the tree in my backyard. The rest were collected from the Eucalyptus grandis forests north of Bulladelah in NSW, not far from the tallest E. grandis in NSW (also the tallest tree in NSW). This work is also an acknowledgement of the uniqueness of the natural world; although all these may be called sticks they are each absolutely unique and no stick in the history of the universe has ever been nor will ever be the same as the ones you see now.
space cradle
Space is what we exist in – space of course extends past the bounds of our planet but for us earth-bound things it could be seen to be defined by the land and the sky, while in our build environments it is defined by walls, floors and ceilings. This cradle holds some of that space while allowing the molecules within it to move and become part of another place – they may even enter our own body, through our breath. This work is knitted from 8 amp fuse wire
intersection
A vesica is the shape created when two circles intersect. The shape created describes leaf shapes, boat shapes, shield shapes, it is also very female shaped…
In this work the space of intersection is defined by over 300 tensioned strings, while a halo of chaos acts in counterpoint. Chaos and order; the order contained within in contrast to the chaos without, both though essential to the outcome and form of the work (and our existence).
wall veil
This work is made directly into the wall of the building – the structure that the wall is part of and the space defined by it becomes intimately connected with the work – in fact it becomes the work. A 9 x 9 grid is the foundation of this work, repeated 9 times.
erupt
This work was made for this building. It is a work that talks of that which lies beneath the surface. The work soars from beneath the skin of the building; a contrast of organic and geometric, solid and transparent. The timber parts are made from plantation hoop pine; a timber that is both strong and light – despite its size the work only weighs only about 60kg. The long beams are stayed with steel cables to prevent them bending under the tension exerted by the 150 sets of PVC threads. Amazingly each thread may be relatively slack but the effect of 150 threads working together will cause timber (and steel) to bend! The frame which is ‘flat pack’ (ie comes apart for transport) was fabricated by my woodworker brother, Greg Taylor in Brunswick Heads.