SOLD

This piece was selected for the exhibition of finalists of the Estuary Art and Ecology Prize, shown at Uxbridge Malcolm Smith Gallery, Howick in July 2018.

Artist’s Statement for the Estuary Art and Ecology Prize:

Sediments’ Story is born of my fascination with secrets hidden in the ground beneath us. When I look at a landscape, I see not only it’s obvious natural beauty. In my mind’s eye, I see it’s past, revealed in the layers of rock under the surface. The layers of sediment extending deep beneath the Tamaki Estuary tell of the lush landscape that was once there. Deep down are compacted sediments, rich in organic matter from dense forest. Volcanic activity is marked by more brightly coloured layers of ash. Man arrived and little changed for a while, until European settlers, excited by the fertile land, started to clear large swathes for farming. This time is told in the Sediments’ Story by the deposit of much thicker layers of soils, washed from land once protected by dense vegetation. These thick deposits and subsequent human activity have had a profound effect on the flora and fauna of the Estuary. Later sediment layers lack the richness of what came before. The waters feeding into the Estuary are the mode of transport for all of this sediment. Their significance to the local people is represented by a wave design, based on traditional Maori motifs.

Framed artwork measures 670 x 570 mm