The Way of Trees, Earth and Water

As part of my 2013 HC Combs Creative Arts Fellowship at the Australian National University School of Art, I was commissioned to make an environmental work for the ANU Sculpture Park, for the Centenary of the Founding of Canberra. The Installation was a collaboration between myself, the ANU School of Art Sculpture Workshop, an ANU Arborist and the ANU Gardens and Grounds. With particular thanks going to David Williams, Nick Stranks, the sculpture students Isabelle and Deidre, Melinda Walker, the chief Arborist, Vince the tree surgeon and Matt the groundsman. Many other students and ground staff helped and my thanks goes to them too.

The constructed element is 2.5 metres high x 3.2 m.long and 2.2 m wide. The planted trees are roughly twice the height. There is a standing stone in the centre 1.5 m. high surrounded by rammed earth, surrounded by carved Eucalyptus trunks, charred black. Over time the tree trunks will rot away, the rammed earth will erode and the trees will grow. The trees are the white barked Eucalyptus mannifera, which are fast growing large trees and may live 50 years or so. Towards the end of their life, these four trees will encircle a standing stone in a mound of red earth. The work faces out across the lake to the hills from which the river and lake rises.