In 2011, I was awarded a grant from Arts Tasmania for a self-initiated residency at LARQ in Queenstown on the west coast of Tasmania. Here are a couple of excerpts from my application:
“Queenstown is a remote town that has, in some ways, been defined by waste. Until quite recently, the bare hills surrounding the town were an undeniable indication of the damage done by the smelting process at the mine. While the trees have begun to grow back through dedicated attention to regeneration, to this day, the junction of the King and Queen rivers reflects an ongoing outcome of this industry, as the clear waters of the first, mix with the rust coloured fluid of the second. By doing this residency, I would like to offer a counter point to this evidence by considering and demonstrating ways to deal positively with waste.
I have always found this small industrial town intriguing and have visited a number of times over the last few years through my professional and personal friendship with LARQ owners Raymond Arnold and Helena Demczuk. While I love the drama of the ‘big’ landscape that surrounds the town, I am most fascinated by the intimate details of the place. As with my own art practice, there is a spirit of make-do-and-get-by in the town. Throughout the townscape, it is possible to see many examples of the reuse of material and the ingenuity of the community, particularly in the construction of small residential buildings and sheds. Buildings and fences composed entirely of found cladding are commonplace.”
“The focus of my time with LARQ will be an investigation of the potential to transform apparent material waste through sculptural and design thinking. Throughout my time in Queenstown, I intend to work in a fluid way between my sculpture and design practice.”
The residency is supported by LARQ, Arts Tasmania and Project Queenstown.
