Monumental
Jam Session
Created specifically for the 2008 Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Prize Exhibition,
Werribee Mansions, Victoria
Catalogue statement:
My contribution to the 2008 Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Prize exhibition
extends themes presented in Industrial Jam Session, my entry of last year. As
the current title suggests, this year’s sculpture is larger in scale and takes
the form of one complete assemblage rather than a suite of six.
The Jam Session series explores fundamental principles of modernism such as form,
colour and spatiality. What makes these works distinctly of our time are the
materials employed – industrial plastics, which are widely used in the manufacturing
world. These plastics are especially tactile and often lurid in colour – characteristics
which, not surprisingly, evoke an irresistible sense of play, albeit on a grand
scale. Also evident are references to some of the most serious issues facing
us today.
The main component of Monumental Jam Session is a grouping
of four large, bright-orange ‘water barriers’. These barriers are a common sight
throughout Melbourne, being literally lined up like snakes throughout the city
and into the suburbs. Their presence indicates a city in a state of flux, disrupted
by building and road works, demolition and restructuring.
Industrial flotsam occupies much of our visual landscape. For me this material
is loaded with aesthetic and associative potential. In making this sculptural
work I have embraced the physicality of this ‘stuff’ to create dynamic, anthropomorphic
works that also offer viewers an opportunity for reflection on our wider built
environment.
Materials Plastic, steel, bolts
Dimensions 500x120x420cm