rural tragedy

The series was developed as a sculptural exercise that arranged material fragments in ways that uncovered a multiplicity of correlations and tensions within the juxtaposition of their content. The resultant accretion of ideas created an interactive language which codified form as a narrative storytelling device that produced a cast of symbolic and biomorphic characters.

The pieces sought to represent the relationship of Australian colonial settlers to the harsh landscape of the country. The works expressed feelings of displacement, discomfort and disconnection towards an alien environment. Simultaneously thought of as a trial and a circus, the collection of characters developed in relationship to each other, as formal compositions were tested and an implied meaning of the group slowly took shape.

The final characters included The Squatter, the Beast, the Accused, the Witness, the Juggler and the Gossips.