Onward and upward

'Onward and upward' is an artwork installed in the foyer at 176 Turbot Street. Responding to the stark design of the entry space the artwork describes the traffic flow of people through the foyer towards the lifts and up to the corporate suites. The ceramic arrows are shaped to reflect the elevator direction signals. Fabricated and installed by UAP, photographed by Roger D'souza.

PAPER

'Cumulus' is off to Kick Arts in Cairns to join a group exhibition featuring artworks in paper. It opens on the 4th December and continues until February 2010.

Herd

'Herd' is a leather variation of the 'Cumulus' artwork exhibited this year. Commissioned for a restaurant in Brisbane. The full artwork spans 6m long and is to be installed in November this year.

Inflorescence

INFLORESCENCE is a chandelier designed for the restoration of Old Government House in Brisbane. Situated on the Queensland University of Technology Gardens Point Campus this artwork was inspired by the subtropical landscape and the adjacent botanic gardens. The inflorescence of the Bangalow palm is interpreted in cast bronze and crystal.
INFLORESENCE was constructed and installed by UAP.

Ivory Street 24/7 - 5 May-1 June

Photographed by Andrea Higgins

Artisan installation

Cumulus is to be installed in the Ivory street window at Artisan on Brunswick street today.

harmless introduction

larks made from porcelain and collected twigs, 2008

Exhibited at Kiln in the Parallel exhibition

fine details

These images give a closer look at the artwork, the shadow cast on the ground and the movement of the seeds

'lightness of air'

Lightness of Air was installed at the Brisbane Airport Corporation Head offices in November 2008. Huge thanks to Franco and Gordon for thier hardwork.

The dandelion is used as a link to the past as well as symbolising the possibilities for the future. This common flower evokes childhood memories of blowing seeds into the breeze. Watching them float through the air to find a resting place elsewhere.
‘Lightness of Air’ magnifies the beauty on ordinary things.

parallel - upcoming show at Kiln

I am currently finishing my porcelain birds for an upcoming show at Kiln in Paddington called Parallel. This group show is made up of 7 staff from UAP incuding me who wanted to exhibit thier work independently and without the constraints of our daily occupations. It opens on the 7th November.

Dandelion update

The dandelion is taking shape in the workshop at UAP. With the expert skills of Franko the sculpture is getting closer to its final form everyday. Over 100 individual pieces have been welded together so far and perhaps another 20 to go. On Friday we raised the dandelion up in the crane to its installation height to see where it needed development and additional pieces. It is looking really great.

I was recently commissioned for a public art project to be installed in a new commercial precinct of the Brisbane Airport. While thinking about the concept of flight I started to marvel at the incredible structure and delicacy of the ordinary dandelion and how they shed their seeds on the lightest breeze. The seeds with their 'parachute' feathers at the tip float through the air to find a landing place and start to grow again.
The artwork is being fabricated at UAP now from cast aluminium that are pieced together to create part of a hollow sphere. It is just over 2m in diametre and will be suspended in a walkway that has an eliptical opening. Further developments to come.

'from the boughs of the fig tree'

This is a recently completed project I did at work with UAP. It's a small playscape at the Mater Mother's Hospital for young children to play in while their mums are waiting for doctor's appointments. There are a number of huge old fig trees that form the backdrop to the terrace the playscape is on which inspired the play simple objects. The refurbishment of the Mater Hospital in Brisbane has seen some beautiful artworks installed such as Marisa Molin's Tree and Mandy Ridley's Screens.

bound

This series of earthenware clay forms are hand formed and fired then bound with fine embroidery thread. Photographed by Emma Reilly

‘Bound’ explores the union of disparate materials and crafts by combining simple earthenware clay forms with delicate and refined embroidery thread. The art of making bowls is an ancient practice exercised to produce vessels that hold food, a ritual that appeals in its intimacy and intention to nourish. The simplicity and functionality of these objects is interrupted by the delicate thread tightly bound across their shapes rendering them unusable for their intended purpose. The interior spaces are instead filled with the shadows cast by the thread.

44 - earlier in the year

Emma Reilly curated a show celebrating International Women's Day earlier this year at Fourty Four in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Two works of mine where exhibited, the stitched paper sculpture shown a few posts ago and a series of small hand formed bowls bound with embroidery thread.

Photos show here where taken by Emma Reilly

another bauhinia

just another bauhinia study made from wall paper Maria (swedish ninja) gave me in sweden.

Bauhinia

I love the Bauhinia tree that features in so many Brisbane backyards with it's butterfly shaped leaves and pretty pink or white flowers in spring and summer. I had the opportunity to create an artwork for the Nundah Villages Shopping centre and created this suspended artwork that celebrates these suburban beauties.

work in progress - birds

A new ceramic project - I am working on a piece for an up coming show at Kiln in Paddington with 6 of my co-workers at UAP. These little porcelain birds are created by making and stuffing a fabric form then making a mould of it for slip casting. Imperfections and details show through such as stitch lines and puckered cloth. I'm starting to noticed a bit of a 'bird' trend in the local art world at the moment.

porcelain bowls

These hand formed porcelain bowls were exhibited at Artisan in 2004. It seems like an age ago but since it was a defining moment in my art practice it seemed like a good place to start. They were created as part of my final semester work for my Bachelor of Design at QCA.

Paper and Thread

I developed this artwork earlier in the year by stitching carboard discs together to create an organic structure.
It was exhibited at FourtyFour Gallery in Darlinghurst, Sydney in March in an exhibition for International Women's Day curated by photographer Emma Reilly.