Algalrhythms - Life Movements Exhibition

The King Island Residency was undertaken at an apocalyptic-seeming time - 2019 had been a year of Trump, #metoo, Greta Thunberg, endless gun violence, war and terrorism, culminating in the epic fires burning in Australia. Little did we know what was yet to come.

The physical evidence of decaying flora and fauna grounded me in the simplicity and biological truth of the eternal life-cycle – what is sometimes referred to as biophilia - "the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life." Most often, the detritus was left on the shore in a wreath-like form – later I connected this to the use of the wreath in funeral rites, and as a symbol of eternal life.

In the spirit of biophilia, the contemplation of death as part of the life cycle helps affirm our place in the natural world. Beauty can be found in every part of this cycle. At a time of global trauma and uncertainty, I found this grounding and comforting. There was a sense of peace and beauty in this detritus, these memorials of movement and life as they transitioned from vibrant, colourful tableaus to hardened, dried crusts – beautiful at every stage.

In creating the work for Algalrhythms I have largely created wreath-shaped assemblages in textiles using many techniques – dyeing (both silk and polyester), free-motion embroidery, leather moulding, hand embroidery, silk paper, watercolour on fabric, Tyvek, botanical dyeing, heat distortion, needle and wet-felting, acrylic on canvas, and 3D printing pen.

This body of work is an ode to biophilia, the cycle of life, the beauty and power of nature, and our place within it.