• Water is Life  /  2022  /  CS Gallery  /  On show throughout  2022  /  Digital Print  

Water is life / CS Gallery Windows

As a child, the aftermath of the flooded Kororoit Creek always looked like decorated like Christmas trees, with shiny plastic bits, aluminium, coloured bottles, plastic bags and other rubbish snagged in the branches. I found it appealing for a moment before the reality of this image of nature truly sunk in.

This artwork includes illustrations captured in the pristine environment of 18th century Australia and uses the historical museum trope of the diorama. The visual language of these freeze-framed idyllic natural vignettes have the discordant addition of human made flotsam and jetsam. The intention of a diorama is to build a replica of a specific ecosystem and this contemporary interpretation reflects upon local habitats and the idea that a healthy waterway is the life blood that allows plants and animals to flourish … and this includes the human animal.

This site specific work subtly places the animal within the urban setting. Through camouflage the snake becomes part of the human built environment. Separating the human and non human divide.

Six murals were installed across the City of Ballarat in the lead up to Christmas 2025.

I explored Christmas in a local context using an illustrative and watercolour style with soft pastel colours. I created scenes with Ballarat landmarks and local natural environments to convey our summertime experience of Christmas holidays (rather than use the European imagery). All of the Christmas tropes are present, but they are slightly subverted. Santa is pictured, but he is on the side of an icecream van and the snow cones are melting slightly in the summer sun. In another scene a wombat scratches his butt on a tree, making white eucalyptus blossoms fall like snow. I wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge our important animal friends that we share a habitat with. It is the time of year where we celebrate outdoors and have experiences in nature and may be lucky enough have encounters with them. I anthropomorphised a few characters who are acting out Christmassy activities.

A ‘find it’ activity was included within each image for two different age groups.