This site specific work subtly places the animal within an urban setting. Utilising an alteration in scale, the skin of the snake becomes an object of beauty. Through camouflage the snake becomes part of the human built environment.

The transformation of aesthetic patterns found in the natural world alludes to a bird, a fish, a set of wings – the animal. The symbol reflects on the ancient and contemporary relationship between man and animal. It is a space to contemplate the idea of ‘becoming’, where anthropocentrism yields to sentient beings.

My research into fruit bats was presented as a public exhibition within seven large vitrines built in to the new Dandenong Municple Building. The installations consisted of painting, sculpture and photography for the inaugural Light-box Commission.

This playful work turns the mimicry of the bird’s mateship dance over to the human visitor. In a world of extreme body imaging it is good to reflect upon the male of the bird kingdom who hold the aesthetic responsibilities… and the extremes they take it to.

The evolution of sexual selection can produce qualities that reduce the ability to escape from predators where aesthetic features make a creature more conspicuous and slower. According to the theory of sexual selection, ornamental features can develop to the point at which the disadvantages of being caught by a predator outweigh the advantages of being selected by a partner. The peacock is a prime example of evolutionary choices of beauty over fear, the tail restricts the ability to fly but is a winner with the ladies. A clear case of form over function. An evolutionary example of love at all costs. A romantic tail/tale.

Animals are part of the fabric that makes up the world that we live in. Often it is only the smallest, useful or most adaptable animals that can remain within the urban environment. Spiders are able to inhabit the spaces that are inaccessible and often invisible to us, revealing themselves in the artistry of their webs. Giovanni Aloi asks us, if the uniqueness of art is a human prerogative? The spider may not be inspired by aesthetics or narrative ideas, but creativity is definitly present which is the universal originator of art. Is it only humans that can creatively interpret their environment or is that an anthropocentric view that needs challenging? Finding new perspectives from which to understand life may radically change who we are, where we are going and who we are going there with, for global warming, environmental decay and mass extinction are all clear indices of the wrongness of our approaches.

This work is an exploration of the momentous change of philosophical outlook that came with Darwin’s, Theory of Evolution.

A fascination for the evocative properties of natural and salvaged art materials was an integral part of the realisation of this work. Each piece of reclaimed wood is unique in its origin, colour and texture, they have all combined to create a surface that casts back a reflection of the history and potential in the detritus of urban life. Characterised by the passage of time, and the effects of natural elements, this material provided its own unique beauty and challenges. The organic form reflects a fascination for the patterning of plant design and animal skin. This work engages the viewer by inviting exploration into its intimate interior.

The Reading Pod is an intimate space to explore and celebrate reading, writing and expression. Visitors to the pod are invited to explore, respond and contribute to it with their own dreamings and reflections. A communication exchange happened within this environment, an exchange of thoughts and ideas between the visitors that grow the artwork. This interactive sculpture plays with the aesthetic appeal of words and images from recycled books. Reading and writing are essentially solo ventures that are shared through this quiet reflective communication vessel.