Stairs after rain

I'm really like the way the warp and weft of the gauze are distorting. The gauze is both settling into the steps and pulling away. The horizontal areas are bunching up in the low areas and pulling apart over the high spots. The vertical pulling away from the steps. I would like to remove the gauze before it falls apart too much. I plan to hang the gauze vertically when it comes off the steps. Have to experiment with ways of either setting the distorted gauze in place or holding the gauze in place with a stable netting sewn into the gauze, or excepting that it will change again when hung. Oh well, I can try all.

The stair walk

Large gauze work

Lisa and Marion helping with the installation

Basalt walls and steps

The basalt walls at Mount Tomah are constructed of mainly hexagonal or pentagonal blocks. At the present basalt is sourced from a quary at Peats Ridge. There is a continuing building program. A team of stone workers are at present working on walls around the new education building.There are many older walls, one of my favourites is the wall behind the waterfall.

Making the dark light, an idea for gauze.

The lower steps in the garden have been built out of trachyte. Another volcanic rock. It was collected from the old Homebush sale yards in Sydney, when they we demolished. The trachyte is in square blocks.

Grass growing

The grass was left uncut in a 'y' shape that followd the garden bed pattern as planned with Dave.



This is the growth in about 5 days. As the time passes this grasses height will be more noticable and the varieties of grass in the lawn will hopefully become more distinctive.

Statement

When I was invited to exhibit ‘Gathering’ and install gauze works at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden I was reminded of all my visits to the garden over the years. I recall the early days when we climbed a windswept bare hill. The energy in the wind could sweep away or invigorate. The site developed into diverse spaces, from the symmetrical formal garden, to the South garden (displaying plants which lie to the South of the equator) to the recent addition of the bog and all those wonderful spaces in between. Each area poses questions about environments. Each area informs and delights and is in constant change. The challenge of installing works in the garden is, to say something about the garden that adds to the garden, emphasises a characteristic, and enhances the experience of the visitor and the people who work in the garden. I aim to create work that takes the garden into the future, encouraging a dialogue that moves people into areas yet undiscovered and that pose questions and answers others. The Botanic Gardens Trust’s mission is ‘to inspire the appreciation and conservation of plants’ which is also one aspect of my practice. Installations in the garden will be developed from themes, materials that I am engaged with in my current practice.

Aerial view 1994

A photograph of an areial photograph of the gardens,1994
For a plan and mud map of how to get to Mount Tomah Botanic Garden : http://www.bluemts.com.au/mounttomah/info.htm