2023 | Bunbury Biennale
The 2023 Bunbury Biennale provided the theme Culture / Nature with the purpose of presenting a cohesive survey of WA contemporary arts practices.
Exhibition at Bunbury Regional Art Gallery - Sunday 02 April to Monday 04 June 2023.
ARTIST STATEMENT
THE GRAVITY (GRAVITAS) OF THE VOID. 2023/23 (welded riggers wire)
A mine void is the area of excavation that remains after mining is complete.
It can be defined as a geological form (a hole) for mining ore.
In applying Newton's 3rd Law, g = f/m ie: Gravity = force over mass, to an notion of mining versus nature, I am considering the Gravitas, the serious threat of Mining and the resulting effect on the nature of our planet.
In this work Newton's Law considers the suspended void to represent GRAVITY = mass destruction of mining = MASS and economics of mining = FORCE. The design and shape of the individual components of my Void are based on schematic line drawings of mine void planning. The sides of the void are 'carved out' to minimise the sides of the void collapsing; hence the 'shelves' seen around the sides of the void.
Nature is seen as the vegetation, trees and bushes clinging balanced precariously to the rim of the void and the 'clouds' as the serious threat to us all of declining rainfall and of flood. It is with the force of nature we see mass devastation with flooding, drought, fire etc.
- Helen Seiver.
