This exhibition is the result of Sharon’s residency at the Tuggeranong arts centre in January 2019.
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| Sharon Peoples, Still Waters 2019 |
On my walks during the residency, I pondered the beautiful extensive landscapes at each turn in the path around the lake, admiring the designer’s skill at framing the water, hills and mountains. I revelled in the general quietness but was puzzled by the lack of interaction with the water during the peak of summer.
The still waters of Lake Tuggeranong in the early Summer mornings are glorious. Becoming more familiar with the Lake during the residency, details caught my eye: the birds, the occasional dead fish, the water reflections, the plant life. I revelled in the general quietness with bird calls as a backdrop, until I realised the only interaction by humans with the Lake were two men who regularly motored a small boat to the top end of the Lake.
I subsequently came upon an area of blue/green algae and quickly realised the connections behind the tranquillity and the inhibition of use. Blue/green algae has made it presence felt on the Lake. Its reverberation felt downstream no doubt. The organic growth of the city is perhaps not what was imagined.
I later learned that the men were scientists were checking the water readings in an effort to understand the source and typology of the toxic algae. A small area in the water was fenced off by rope with orange floats. Once they finished their work for the day silence returned.
In the exhibition the larger lace works, which are machine embroidered, reflect fragility of the environment. For the smaller hand embroidered pieces, I use darn stitching as a metaphor for repair: repairing the environment. In these works, I particularly use cotton thread to link climate change with industrial crops, such as cotton. Layered within the use of the glass cases is the assistance glasses give to our vision. As well the ability to open and shut the cases at will.
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