Riverboats for Siddhatha

 

“Riverboats for Siddhatha” consists of 5x vessels made from bronze and steel. It is a visual response to the reading of “Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse,1922. This work captures the "ethos" of a river landscape by borrowing elements from the book. It has also been layered with my own recollections of a childhood spent in Laos on the Mekong River.

 

The vessel forms are inspired by Laotian long boats and  rickety, wooden bridges of the Mekong. The blackened steel supports hark back to reeds and timber structures from its banks. I hoped to evoke some of the river’s meditative qualities through the choice of materials, colours and composition. 

 

Acid etching and bronze patination was used to “paint” directly on to the bronze sheets. This reductive process dissolves away exposed metal not sealed by bitumen to create textures. Patination gives colours to the bronze and a flowing body of water is suggested by the composition of the deeply etched lines.

 

 

Exhibition:

* Arcanum Pramount Building Surry Hills Dec 2013

* Graduate Metal 14 Dank street Depot July 2015