fieldwork/fieldwalking PhD project 2003-2006

This project was based in the walkingcountry in the Kimberley of Western Australia and culminated in the fieldwork/fieldwalking exhibition (2006). Other works were exhibited in Four Tales from Natural History (2004), Semi (2004) and the group shows National Review of Live Art (2003), strange strolls (2005), Chart (2006) and The Yellow Vest Syndrome (2009).

Strandings: kangaroo and Joey velvet pillow stranded July to December 2004 in the walkingcountry.

 

A summary of the artworks as outlined in Chapter 2 of the thesis

(see here)
 
Zoo for the species 2003 National Review of Live Art/ Midland 7 track x 11 minute audio installation based on 7 walks through the streets of Perth 11 minute loop
This work is discussed in Section 3.3.8 of the Exegesis and illustrated in Figures 3.3.67 to 3.3.72 and 3.3.76 to 3.3.80.

Ordinary Wilderness: Murmuring Polyphony 2004 Books04/ Noosa Regional Art Gallery, Noosa and semi/ Spectrum Project Space, Northbridge Digitally printed bound book 31 x 30 x 1 cm
The pages of this book were split horizontally into four sections so that readers could mix and match images and text (see Figures 2.12 to 2.15).

Four Tales from Natural History 2004 Four Tales from Natural History/ Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Northbridge Solo installation with wooden lecterns and four track 15 minute looped sound track Variable. Lecterns 120 cm high
This work is discussed in Section 3.2.1 of the Exegesis and illustrated in Figures 3.2.2 to 3.2.4.

ecosystem energy underneath 2004 semi/ Kurb Gallery and Spectrum Project Space, Northbridge Electro-luminescent paper and digital prints Prints 15 x 10 cm
This work was an experiment in combining light and images to suggest the underlying energetics or liveness of the walkingcountry.

herethere 2004 semi/ Kurb Gallery and Spectrum Project Space, Northbridge Two sound art walks between the Spectrum Project Space and the Kurb Gallery Variable. Walks 10 minutes long
This work is discussed in Section 3.4.2 of the Exegesis and illustrated in Figures 3.4.17 to 3.4.21 and 3.4.37 to 3.4.46.

Dam view (work in progress) 2004 semi/ Spectrum Project Space, Northbridge Digital print on paper 600 cm x 300 cm
The image is derived from a heavily pixellated scene of the “most beautiful view” of the walkingcountry (see Figures 3.4.22 and 3.4.23).

herethere 2004 semi/ Spectrum Project Space, Northbridge Mixed media installation with video projection. Found object (hide), stones, ephemera. Video 52 minutes long Tent 200 x 190 x 190 cm
This work is discussed in Section 3.4.2 of the Exegesis and illustrated in Figures 3.4.13 to 3.4.14, 3.4.17 to 3.4.21 and 3.4.37 to 3.4.52.

upsidown tent 2004 semi/ Kurb Gallery Installation with found objects (tent and lamp) Tent 190 x 190 x 190 cm
This work was the reversal of the herethere hide at the Spectrum Project Space. The work can be seen in Figure 3.4.48.

Slide documentation of the project (work in progress) 2004 semi/ Spectrum Project Space, Northbridge 80 slides Slides of strandings and other images of the walkingcountry. Strandings discussed in Section 3.3.2, 3.3.9 and 3.5.1.1 of the Exegesis. Variable

To Meander and Back 2005 strange strolls /Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle 32 minute sound art work for stereo headphones and walker Variable. 32 minute soundtrack
This work is discussed in Appendix A.2 of the Exegesis and illustrated in Figures 2.39 to 2.41 and A.2.16 to A.2.21, A.2.25 to A.2.29, A.2.33 and A.2.35.

The Before (A work in 3 parts) 2004 to 2005 For nothing/ The Bank Gallery, Midland Mixed media installation with audio component. Includes Ten minute sound track.
This work explored the limits of the artwork by being made out of the “pre-mains” of other artworks including readings from timings made of the distances of various streets in Fremantle as part of the strange strolls project.

Zoo for the species 2003 (2006) fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. 7 track x 11 minute audio installation based on 7 walks through the streets of Perth 11 minute loop
This work is discussed in Section 3.3.8 of the Exegesis and illustrated in Figures 2.1 to 2.3.

Fieldology 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 1. Mixed media installation with Camp 52, strandings, tents and field samples. Variable.
This installation included my campsite (52) where I camped for the duration of the show as well of the many strandings that I did during the project (see Figures 2.4 to 2.19).

Wandering around taking photographs 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. First Floor and stairwell to second floor. Digital pigment prints on archive paper 10 x 15 cm
253 small details of the walkingcountry spread throughout Gallery One and spilling into other spaces of the exhibition. Some are photographs of strandings in situ. Examples of images have been threaded through the thesis document (see also Figures 2.20 to 2.27).

herethere (leftright) 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 1. 8 minute looped video projected on to the inner surface of a tent. 8 minute loop
This video brought the practice of walking back to it’s phenomenological origin by strapping two video cameras to my left and right feet (see Figures 2.28 to 2.29).

herethere (hide) 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 2. Mixed media installation with video projection and found objects (hide and folding chair). Video 52 minutes long Tent 200 x 190 x 190 cm
This work is a reworking of the original tent installation in the Semi show which is discussed in Section 3.4.2 of the Exegesis and is
illustrated in Figures 2.30 to 2.35.

Objects accepted and rejected by Sandy and Mr Tip at their bowers 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 2. Camping table and plastic bags full of found and created objects. Table 80 x 60 x 80 cm
The objects originally created for the semi exhibition were taken to the walkingcountry and used in a number of experiments with two male bower birds: Sandy and Mr Tip (see Section 4.3 and Figures 2.35).

Inhabitation 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Digital pigment prints on archive paper. 6 prints 42.0 x 29.7 cm.
Small caterpillar houses built from spinifex leaves can be seen hanging in glossy green Wet Season spinifex clumps (see Figures 2.36 to 2.38).

To Meander and Back 2005 (2006) fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. 32 minute sound art work for stereo headphones and walker. Variable. 32 minute soundtrack.
This key work was re-presented from the strange strolls exhibition (see Figures 2.39 to 2.41).

Nightwalk 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 4. Looped video installation filmed using a night vision scope projected directly onto the limestone wall. 8 minute circular looped video projection 250 cm high
Brushing through a night landscape, galumphing over bushes and spinifex we see fragments of a journey lit by torchlight. A disk of light appears. We head towards it until it is finally revealed as the reflective label of a backpack stranded in a tree (see Figures 2.42 and 2.43).

Sleepwalking 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 4. Looped video installation projected 12 cm across directly onto the limestone wall. 5 minute circular looped video projected 12 cm across
A figure in a labcoat sleepwalks back and forth across a circular nightscape. The images is filmed using an enhanced night vision scope (see Figure 2.44).

Night vision 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 4. Digital pigment prints on archive paper 84 x 84 cm
In a darkened room you can pick up a torch to illuminate 6 large prints. Each print uses a night vision scope to capture details of camp 51 in the walkingcountry (see Figures 2.45 to 2.50 and also 3.5.9).

Four Tales from Natural History 2004 (2006) fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 5. Solo installation with wooden lecterns, four track 15 minute looped sound track and infra-red motion detectors. Variable. Lecterns 120 cm high
This work was reconfigured from the 2004 solo show using concealed infra-red motion detectors. It is discussed in Section 3.2.1 of the exegesis and this version is illustrated in Figure 2.51.

herethere (abovebelow) 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Upstairs foyer. Looped video installation projected portrait-wise into a stairwell. 32 minute circular looped video projected portrait-wise into a stairwell.
A figure in a labcoat climbs up and down a hill. She climbs in and out of site for 32 minutes in the morning sun. The image is filmed on its side so that it can be projected in a stairwell (see Figure 2.52).

Compass (Blacksoil). Naturalist. Blacksoil Photopoint Time Passage. Ash (Tracks). 2006
fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Upstairs foyer. Diptych of conventional digital print (left) and lenticular 3D image (right) 123.1 X 50 cm
This series of 4 images pair digital prints of details of the walkingcountry with lenticular 3d images. They are reproduced in Figures 2.53 to 2.57.

Geologist Series 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 6. Digital pigment prints on archive paper 78 x 52 cm
Images derived from a collaborative mapping project with a geologist. They capture the geologist’s bodily gestures acting out the process of mapping: how the geology of the Kimberley valley fits together or grasping a delicate flower husk (see Figures 2.58 to 2.65).

Geological Mapping over 5 days 2006 fieldwork/fieldwalking / Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle. Gallery 6. 5 day soundtrack.
Two folding chairs stand in the centre of the gallery. From either end you can hear a spatial conversation between the geologist and the artist recorded over 5 days. At times they move close together as they cross the landscape sharing their deliberations. At other times they are out of range of each other and their signals break up into private thoughts (see Figure 2.59).