Navicula
4th Wall Gallery, Sydney
08/05/2024
Navicula is exhibited at the 4th Wall Gallery for the month of May.
The work is a continuation of my exploration into walking, memory, aging and the impacts of colonisation on the land and water. It consists of a series of paintings made by tracing X-rays of my foot onto bitumen, and a group of paper-mache and carbon paper sculptures, moulded from a collection of shoemaker’s lasts from the 1960s.
In Latin the word navicular means small boat. Located in the arch of the foot,the navicula bone functions as a keystone, transferring the load and propulsion from the rear foot to the forefoot. Unlike the bones that support the body’s weight, the navicular floats, leaving no imprint on the land.
Through processes of tracing, walking, moulding and mark-making, my work addresses the ongoing effects on our bodies, community, land and water of colonisation, drawing parallels between the changes in our bodies and those that affect the land.
Navicula, 2024
9 works on Vietnamese Doh paper with bitumen, gouache, and white carbon paper. Each 38cm x 60cm. 9 paper-mache constructions with blue carbon paper, various dimensions.