Since the 20th century, and with the New Materialist turn, materials used within sculptural practice have been understood to have agency. Rocks holding together #6 continues to extend an understanding of abfunctional material possibilities in an artwork through the synchronous engagement of Pyrenees quartz (from the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung) and glass. This work focusses on notions of pressure, in particular compression, expressed by the glass sandwiched between two sliced pieces of Pyranees quartz. The glass bubble in the artwork, reveals the expulsion and uplift of air as the top rock slice comes down on top of the bottom rock, in addition to the uncanny capacity of the glass to sustain the weight of the top rock. The work continues my investigation into what it is that enables things to hold up.<p></p>
NTRO Output Category
- Original Creative Work : Visual artwork
Place
Collingwood, AustraliaVenue
Sarah Scout PresentsNTRO Publisher
Sarah Scout PresentsStart Date
2024-04-17End Date
2024-06-01Medium
Pyrenees quartz (from the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung) and glassResearch Statement
Since the 20th century, and with the New Materialist turn, materials used within sculptural practice have been understood to have agency. This sculptural work questions how the notion of abfunction (a neologism that identifies the move away from function in the outcomes and production of art), can invert expected material agency of glass, rock and air within sculptural practice.
Rocks holding together #6 continues to extend an understanding of abfunctional material possibilities in an artwork through the synchronous engagement of Pyrenees quartz (from the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung) and glass. This work focusses on notions of pressure, in particular compression, expressed by the glass sandwiched between two sliced pieces of Pyranees quartz. The glass bubble in the artwork, reveals the expulsion and uplift of air as the top rock slice comes down on top of the bottom rock, in addition to the uncanny capacity of the glass to sustain the weight of the top rock. The work continues my investigation into what it is that enables things to hold up.
This artwork was exhibited in the solo exhibition “Rocks holding up”, 2024 as the inaugural exhibition of the new space of the highly regarded commercial gallery, Sarah Scout Presents. The exhibition received a very favourable review by the well respected writer and academic Scott Robinson in the April edition of ArtsHub, one of the leading national arts bodies. The art work was subsequently acquired for the significant regional public art collection of the Geelong Gallery and was exhibited in The Sweet Spot_Between Art & Design, a summer exhibition November 2024 – February 25) of new acquisitions curated by Lisa Sullivan. This joins a prior artwork of mine collected by Geelong Gallery, the 2017 video Rocks happy to help; hold up, hold down and a new educational video resource, “Embracing challenges and the potential to fail”.
Robinson Scott, “Rocks holding Up Sarah Scout Presents Exhibition Review”, ArtsHub. 29 April 2024, Accessed 16 January 2025. https://www.artshub.com.au/news/reviews/exhibition-review-simone-slee-rocks-holding-up-sarah-scout-presents-2719765/
The Sweet Spot - https://www.geelonggallery.org.au/whats-on/exhibitions/the-sweet-spot-between-art-and-design
Geelong Gallery Instagram post 24 November 2024
Simone Slee, “Embracing challenges and the potential to fail”. Geelong Gallery Channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXvb2bSKY_4Size or Duration of Work
35 x 55 x 25 cm, 26 kgAffiliation
Simone Slee, University of Melbourne
