Patch and Corridor
For the past decade, I have been salvaging discarded wood furniture to construct works that satirically mimic forms of organic growth, reconfiguring components into forms reminiscent of flora and fauna. The structural mash-ups, derived from a primordial soup of abandoned wood furniture parts, suggest a narrative in which abject, broken wooden parts are taking root and regenerating. These works juxtapose the detritus of our modern lifestyles with the hidden costs of tree removals, including the tremendous loss of wildlife habitat.
Corridor is inspired by efforts to restore native grasslands in the Tasmanian midlands, where invasive grasses have displaced native grasses. In Corridor, the centre section of drawer and cabinet corners references the built urban environment, and the growth spaying out each end is the rebounding natural environment creating territory for native species. The title refers to the green patches and corridors of remaining and restored habitat parcels that are so critical to sustaining urban ecologies and wildlife.