Suseok is a Korean art form of celebrating the beauty and form of stone. It ignites imagination. The landscapes or images that can appear in them are given a carved wooden pedestal, a concave that perfectly hugs the base of the stone, elevating its meaning or value.
Humanity’s relationship and obsession with stone is intrinsic. The necessity to conquer mountains, to build, to create tools, to create objects, to celebrate life and death with colossal stones, the momentous feat of erecting cairns and megaliths, to signify and house the solstice sun, if only momentarily.
Seeing Newgrange in Ireland was a powerful experience, seeing the solstice sun rise through a tear in the clouds and into the chamber of Bryn Celli Ddu in Wales still makes my chest quiver and emotions well when I draw in breath. To work with stone is a gift.
In late 2024 I had a dream about a creation myth of four eagles. In pairs they held up the sun and moon, and flew over land and sea. They represented change. The four elements, the four seasons.
While polishing the stromatolitic talc, it revealed images within the stone. The eye of Horus, an owl, two guardian cats. And within the ripples, one looked like land and the other like sea.
The stone was given to me by an old family friend. It was from Three Springs Talc mine, of which the stromatolitic component was exhausted a long time ago. It is a piece of history, life fossilised by time.
I was given the details of a man while searching for repurposed wood for a base. When I went to his yard he turned me away saying he was on a forklift and too busy. When I walked to my car I saw him on his forklift and waved. He ended up having a piece of jarrah from the old Three Springs Bridge. Some things I believe are meant to be. Morphic resonance has been a reoccurring theme.
Continued…
𓅖 The contents of the booklet I made for ‘Omphalos’, and some photos from my exhibition.
Five months on, over three seasons, how the world has deteriorated so rapidly, an ongoing nightmare with countless innocent lives continuing to be taken. True monsters run the world. Looking to nature, revolution and art for solace 𓆸
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Photos by the @theloumac , who holds the largest collection of my works 𓆫
Over the moon to be able to share that ‘Cosmic Triangle’ and ‘Semele & Jean’ have been acquired for the State Art Collection by the Art Gallery of Western Australia @artgallerywa
So very grateful 𓆫𓅧𓆫𓅧𓆫
‘Omphalos’ was my third solo exhibition, showing my most personal works - it’s truly special the pieces closest to my heart were received with open arms and minds.
I appreciated every single conversation I had, and the new perspectives and stories. To everyone who visited, to the people who looked deeply for hours - thank you so much.
Dream of a sphinx on green velvet 𓃭
Oil on wood panel
300 x 405mm
𓃗 Wishing everyone a blessed year ahead ~ so very grateful for your sight and support 𓆫
I have something really exciting to share with you soon… 𓅖
“When what is different and ‘other’ is also desired, it may be resented, hated and feared, as well as loved and idealised.”
Hypatia of Alexandria was a leading female astronomer, philosopher and mathematician, who gave voice to women of her time. She was ripped from her chariot, stripped naked, her body flayed with oyster shells, torn apart and then burned. Her brutal death at the hands of Christian zealots made her a pagan martyr. It represents the death of the classical world and freedom, and the evils of ignorance and injustice.
Much of this body of work explores the notions of strength, liberty and change through women in mythology and antiquity, as pillars of strength, desired or feared, as Venusian virgins or heretic witches, as martyr or chimera. In different world mythologies, women have often been represented as multifaceted; demons capable of love and nurture and of destruction and deceit. Historically, the fairer sex almost cannot be mentioned without the presence of imbalance and prejudice. It was acts of rebellion, fights for autonomy, justice, revolution and freedom that forged change. Change was, and is, created by extraordinary and ordinary women and men, with acts that defied strength and willpower. Stepping out of the mould is what always brought about transformation, regardless of if it was immediate or gradual.
Hypatia of Alexandria
Oil on panel
204 x 144mm
