Gretel Sharp divulges into her transformative ecological piece!
Platform Arts Presents Two Gather, a durational installation that will grow and change over the course of the exhibition as the artists nurture the aliveness of time and earthly matter.
LAB resident and nature commentary artist Gretel Sharp teamed up with environmentally conscious crafter, Pattie Beerens to deliver the installation at Platform Arts.
The artwork uses earth-derived materials to fabricate this ecological web, representing the intertwining and weaving of people, materials and places throughout time. The piece creates a lively entanglement of earthly matter, homage to the wider ecological web of which we are a part.
We spoke to Gretel about her inspirations and took a deeper look into this majestic piece.
What was the inspiration behind the installation ‘Two Gather’?
For me, the idea started as representing the bigger, mythical web of life that we are all co-weaving, unseen but ever-present, and in relation to our earthly environment. When Pattie and I were then paired together it was wonderfully obvious she shared similar inspiration in her work and also strongly values earth as stimulus. As we started crafting together, the concept of Two Gather formed as a reflection of we as humans are entwined with each other, our environment and ‘gatherer’ cultures across time.
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How would you describe your art to anyone who may be unfamiliar with it?
Evolving. I come from an acting and performance background and started moving into writing, theatre and film making. My work so far has all been concepts that are a bit quirky, surreal and often absurd metaphors for interpreting the world around us.
How does ‘Two Gather’ differ from the works you’ve shown in the past?
Well, it’s my first visual installation so I guess a very different medium to my previous work!
What are you most looking forward to about showing your art at Platform Arts?
Oh lots! It’s exciting to have the chance to showcase some of the ideas I’ve had within their LAB program. It’s hard to find opportunities to showcase things that are stepping away from your previous practice, so I feel really grateful to have had the support for sharing work with, and for, the community.
What have you learnt being part of the Platform Lab program?
One of the biggest things for me was getting the chance to interact with other artists and various mentor figures from different creative backgrounds to mine, it opened up lots of new ways of thinking about what I want to make and how I can go about my work in different ways. I think especially because I came into Platform wanting to expand my practice it’s been really insightful.
What do you hope the key takeaways will be for the audience when viewing your artworks?
Recognising nature in ourselves and ourselves in nature, how we are entwined with something that exists beyond time – both in relation to our humanity and to our environment. Considering a mythical web of life that we both create and get tangled in. Also, just being inspired to create with the environment around us.
What themes do you explore throughout ‘Two Gather’?
Wild vs tame, co-creation with nature, a web of life, earth mysteries. Relating to people and the planet beyond age and time.
The evolving installation opened on Friday 26th March 2021 and will run until Friday 30th April 2021, between 6pm and 8pm. Two Gatherings will also hold a Full Moon Gatherings on Tuesday 27th April.
The event is free and held in Platform Arts Gallery 2, 60 Lt Malop Street Geelong. More information about the event can be found on their Facebook.
