Internal Shorelines
2006/07
La Trobe University Art Collection
Melbourne, Australia
Maps and thread
The work Internal Shorelines addresses displacement and the migrant experience. It evolved from my investigation of how migrants combine the places they have left behind with the ones they inhabit now. I question how they live with absence and re-imagine new ground.
In this work, maps, the bearers of orientation and direction, are cut and manipulated into ambiguous forms. In the process of making this work I became aware that as I cut across borders and boundaries the solidity of the maps unraveled and they became fragile and delicate forms. As light was projected through the shredded maps, shadows and solid ground seemed to have equal value. As the making progressed, ambiguous forms emerged and it was difficult to name what they had become. Were they cocoons, oceanic objects, strange new continents or perhaps drifting bodies? Out of this displacement new ground was brought into being and a new transformative reality emerged.
This work is part of the La Trobe University Art Collection. The judges who selected Internal Shorelines wrote the following comments about the piece:
“The exquisite constructions evoke a plethora of references, ranging from ancient craft practices to contemporary engineering, design and architectural structures. They are also reminiscent of diverse biological formations. Glorious serendipity has allowed the artist to create forms that must surpass the maker’s expectation.”
(Vera Moller and Gordon Morisson (Director Art Gallery of Ballarat))