Studio Journal
Essays, field notes and reflections from the Tracing Australia project
Through essays, field notes and reflections, the Studio Journal is a place where I delve into Australia's landscapes, significant trees, histories and places. These writings accompany my artwork and the evolving Tracing Australia project, a long-term project looking at the stories that shape our relationship with Country and what Australia or being Australian really means.
Forged from fire
It’s the 11th September 2021 and the annual outdoor sculpture show Swell at Currumbin Beach is in full swing. We are arriving just as the sun is going down. There are people promenading down the beach with the giant blow up white rabbits, a thousand paper cranes blowing in the wind, the grand, the simple, the bizarre and the intriguing. Swell is Queensland’s answer to Sculpture by the Sea at Bondi. Luckier this year to be able to host the event whereas Covid restrictions in Sydney have closed Sculpture by the Sea for the second year running.
What does it mean to belong? Beginning on Tamborine Mountain and following the remarkable migration of the Eastern Curlew, this month's Studio Journal reflects on community, stewardship and the reciprocal relationship between people and the places that shape them.