Since the 20th century, and with the New Materialist turn, materials used within sculptural practice have been understood to have agency. Rocks holding up #11 continues to extend an understanding of abfunctional material possibilities in an artwork through the synchronous engagement of Grampian’s sandstone (from Gariwerd, the lands of the Eastern Maar/Gunditjmara) and glass. This work focusses on the horizontal articulation of air between the top and bottom rock by the blown glass. The form and assembly of the glass bubble and stone is determined with this intention in mind and in conjunction with the process of working in sync with sandstone and the glass blowers while casting the hot blown glass directly onto the rock’s form.
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
Grampian's Sandstone (from Gariward, the lands of the Eastern Maar/Gunditjmara) 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 up #11 continues to extend an understanding of abfunctional material possibilities in an artwork through the synchronous engagement of Grampian's sandstone (from Gariwerd, on the lands of the Eastern Maar/Gunditjmara) and glass. This work focuses on the horizontal articulation of air between the top and bottom rock by the blown glass. The form and assembly of the glass bubble and stone is determined with this intention in mind and in conjunction with the process of working in sync with sandstone and the glass blowers while casting the hot blown glass directly onto the rock’s form.
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 to a Melbourne private collector via the significant curator and art consultant, Emily Cormack.
Robinson Scott, “Rocks holding Up Sarah Scout Presents Exhibition Review”, Arts Hub. 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/Size or Duration of Work
41 x 72 x 26 cm 17/04/2024-01/06/2024Affiliation
Simone Slee, University of Melbourne
