Braidwood King’s Hwy. Representing our freedom months
Canberra in Covid shutdown, but still able to walk on the warm coloured dirt tracks in the Aussie bush.
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1 March 2020- Here’s two details from one of the public art works in Reconciliation Place Canberra. Fire and Water by Judy Watson.
“Judy Watson’s fire and water is a sensorial journey which begins at the hearthstone, passes between the bower, to rest on and listen to the sounds of the gathering stone, and continues among the sinuous lines of reeds towards the misting pool, where fine sprays of cooling water cleanses and refresh”–[Launch brochure]. Note the actual dark brown/green rock-like form is appears to be hollow, and a sound suggestive of distant times and songs emanates from within it
13 Feb 2020- Retirement/sabbatical/holiday refresher continues here in Canberra. dabbling in acrylics as a way to getting more hands on with the Australian palette of natural colours
7 Feb 2020- Liking it here. A haven for cyclists (us) again. Network of paved bike/walk pathways, mostly flat gently undulating and meandering paths through tree- lined reserve land.
Previously, State of emergency had been declared for ACT due to the fires in Amadgi National Park which is in the south. A favourable wind change has slowed its advance for a while, and we are a long way from there, having just moved into a small but commodious flat in Ainslie. Over 40degC yesterday, so we went nowhere but to and from the fridge for cold water.
Mike usually lives in New Zealand and graduated with a Fine Arts Degree and the Sculpture Prize in 1997.
His work over the last decade or so has evolved into photographically creating seemingly plausible truths; proposing new possibilities for the toys and models of childhood play. More recently it has involved constructing and painting plastic kitsets with a war theme; a guilty pleasure revisited.
– For full screen view, click on images.
Mike has a number of works in public and private collections in New Zealand and in private collections in Australia.
Comments and feedback– email details on Contacts page.
•Exhibitions; recent and upcoming.
•Image galleries: Sculptures, Cars, Trains & Warlike [click on category]
• James Dignan’s perspective on Mike’s work with toys.
•Mike’s sculpture meets science head on- a conversation with neuroscientist Brian Hyland; https://corpus.nz/concerning-anxiety-art-meets-neuroscience/
•Fringe Festival Billboard project
•Audio project- Disentangling and resurrecting discarded bits of audio cassette tape
Popup exhibition at Fairmaid Chance and Crawford; includes descriptions and prices. Popin.
