Tuesday 19 September 2017

landartfarm 2

My last post looked at the lovely venue for an amazing art exhibition scattered across a typical rural landscape. Today I present some of the works we saw, along with the 'studio' used by the artist. You will witness innumerable flights of fancy, but also some extraordinary creativity. I forgot to mention last time that the displays we observed had no entry fee ... we were simply the guests of the artist ... and, to make things better, she even delivered a delicious afternoon tea at the end of our two-hour walk!

This sculpture - and especially the array of empty milk containers at the back seem to owe their inspiration to Mondrian, Dali and Warhol.


This collection of rocks was designated 'Art Rocks'. Each exhibit had the branch of a tree laid in front describing the exhibit.


And this sculpture, comprising the painted bones of local wildlife - such as kangaroos - was called West and Wild.


This sculpture was assembled from the debris of a fallen tree.


'Dam Works' has found a new use for ancient CDs ... and as you've probably gathered a lot of the artworks comprised recycled material often augmented by colour.


This one was called, appropriately, 'Bush Telegraph'. It was constructed from lots of wires and cables.


And 'Wasted Land' comprises elegantly strewn garbage and its containers!


Fallen branches from trees constitute the 'Black and White Boutique'


And this work called 'Unchain my Trees' has coloured chains draped from branches.


A self-explanatory exhibit!


'Hanging Rocks'. There are several locations around Australia called 'hanging rock' and decades ago a famous film was made - 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'. Unlike the others, this exhibit had been carefully arranged by its human creator.


'Trellis in the Paddock' - you can make out two white-painted wooden structures in the distance.


'Pink Horizon'. If you look carefully you can see that the tree trunks have been painted pink up the point where the ridge meets the sky.


'Yellow Stick Art'!


'Roadside Wires' - A sculpture made from discarded wire used for fencing in livestock - some of it barbed.


I loved this one: 'Progression to the Tip'. The structure is a ramp used for loading cattle and sheep onto trucks. Now the ramp is being used as a way-station for discarded electrical and other gear.


This one was called 'Nimbin'. This little town in the rural hinterland of the NSW North Coast is part of the rainbow region - hence the rainbow colour of the branches. It's home to alternative lifestylers - people who've dropped out of conventional society, grow hemp, ramble around wearing little or nothing, and so on.


'Piping in Places'. I suggested to the artist that the lower portions of the pipes might be painted like 'kilts' to accentuate the Scottish flavour of the work.


And, finally, 'YA Literati', where YA is 'young adult'. This exhibit had a lot of corrugated iron panels inscribed with poetry lamenting the difficulty of growing up and integrating into the modern world for many young people.


Our route back to the house for afternoon tea took us past the artist's studio with this inscription. Inside, the walls were festooned with heaps of unlikely items for future sculptures or 'pictures'. One of the panels was festooned with 'mice' and that forced me to reconsider what I do with my expired computer mice in the future. Maybe I should save them up and use them to decorate the garden!



I've only showed a few of the many works and, if you pay us a visit some time in  the future we could arrange another viewing.

AS

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