Line Work: Rivers of the Basin

Line Work: Rivers of the Basin is a response to the inherited legacies of the site where Penrith Regional Gallery is situated, on the banks of the Nepean River at Emu Plains. The exhibition occupies the four rooms, hallway and veranda of the Lewers House Gallery, once the home and studio of Margo and Gerald Lewers, on the land of the Darug people.

Both historically and in the last year, Emu Plains has felt the impact of extreme heat waves, fires and floors. The 19th Century House, and surrounding gardens on the banks of the river hold the memories of families and communities who have lived and surviving natural disasters, as well as the lasting impact of colonisation and urbanisation.

Through this new body of work, Phaptawan and I explore the four elements of matter; water, wind, earth and fire from a multilayered cultural perspective. Natural fibres including banana leaves and bamboo from the Lewers Garden, have been invoked to create drawings and rubbings, as well as sculptural and installation works. At its crux, Line Work is an acknowledgement of the interwoven and connected lines that marcate and mediate our lives, between the past and now.

*The collaborative drawings are the piano rolls and the pineapple cloth triptychs with ink and paint.

*Sue's work is the bamboo blind; the rubbing of the dinghy, and the glass bottles and platters covered with seeds and plants.

*Phaptawan's work is the bamboo boat and bamboo rods; the cloth bowls with plants on the verandah; and the glass flagon and punch set with river water.