Hunter Emerging Art Prize
Finalists and Winners
YEAR:
2024
Category:
Sculpture
Artist Name:
Samantha Walsh
Title:
Appreciation for Geology
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Materials:
Wooden box with paper, wire, foam acrylic paint, gemstones and metal chain.
Dimensions:
18h x 21w x 12d (when opened for display)
Price
167
About the artwork:
This work is a personal reflection and appreciation of childhood memories of collecting rocks and gemstones and the path it set me on to become a geologist. It references coal, a dominating presence in the stratigraphy of time and my career and thus the associated guilt I feel regarding the climate crisis. The swing sits empty as geology no longer plays a major role in my life as my passions and priorities have shifted. The tree, devoid of life having everything extracted from it is a metaphor for my life-giving role as a mother and our interactions with the natural world. The wire builds on what is left behind as I explore and grow as an artist.