This piece is a representation of half a section cut horizontally from a huge tree. From a distance the form is deceptively ambiguous and could be viewed as a monument, particularly in surroundings that give no clue to its actual size. It could be a forest relic, imposing and powerful in its grandeur, but we are also aware that it is beginning its cycle of decay and disintegration.

On closer examination of the piece, the viewer is focused on the painted surface made up of small bone-like shapes which flow randomly  across the frontal slab of the form.. Embellishment with paint at their ends, subtly emphasizes a new and lively rhythm suggestive of the organic flow of sea-kelp in a tidal pool. The colours grey and purple make reference to the natural phosphorescence which illuminates the ocean waves as they break on the beach. This was a strong childhood memory living in the coastal areas of Australia.

The work  has the feeling of order through repetition which I feel is a metaphor for the celebration of life.

To the surface Surveyed,
Mixed media installation: printed panels, banana skins and paint
10’ x 14’ x 20”

90 x 90 Exhibition, AGA, 2014
     image to the right: Peter von Tiesenhausen