Transformations Between and Among Rocks and Critters

“We are all lichens; so we can be scraped off the rocks by the Furies, who still erupt to avenge crimes against the Earth. Alternatively, we can join in the metabolic transformations between and among rocks and critters, for living and dying well" (Haraway 2016, 56).

Transformations Between and Among Rocks and Critters is a response to coastal regions of both Western Australia and Scotland, focussing on the islands of Wadjemup (Rottnest) and Orkney. These islands are located at opposite ends of the earth and share a wild and unspoilt beauty. They are also home to one of the oldest living things on earth, lichen. Lichen are a unique symbiosis of fungi and algae and offer us a lens through which to consider alternative and harmonious ways of surviving climate change.  

The installation comprises five elements. The painted panels, The Furies and Tomorrowing, are an emotional response to the immensity of each place; of being transported by wild places.  The sculptural elements are more representative and take us from the macro to the micro with an invitation to look more closely. They seek to remind us of what we notice as time slows down. The installation Among Rocks, is a poetic tideline, each rock wrapped with copper foil and reflective of smaller versions of rocks collected from the islands. The copper sculptures, Interlaced, are hand-forged, marked with sand, fire and Verdigris and engraved with images of lichen photographed on site. They are accompanied by a second set of open copper biomorphs, Morphs.  None of the copper sculptures are sealed, allowing space for time and weather to leave their marks upon the surface.  

The collective works are an act of reverence for nature’s small wonders; and for the refuge and restoration found in the wild. For living well, like the lichens.

Reference

Haraway, Donna J. 2016. Staying with the Trouble : Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham: Duke University Press. Accessed September 6, 2024. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/reader.action?docID=4649739&query=&ppg=74

With special thanks to the Henderson Bespoke team for their invaluable guidance and assistance in making the copper forms. @henderson_bespoke