'ego sum via, verum quod vita'
(I am the way the truth and the life)
ephemeral sculpture/ photo triptych
2009
Over the past week I've been posting some pics from last years work - my ongoing project 'codex infinitum' (the infinite book) on both my facebook profile and 'fan page ' (I'm still not comfortable with that damn name/ classification.... oh well) ... I've had a few of these on my flickr site or NAVA profile previously but I've mostly not posted or talked much about what I've been making/doing here on the blog....
It's something I've been both meaning to, and reluctant to do.... (I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on the sharing of work via blogs and the internet... I'm still very unsure about it) anyway... here are a few more pics - these are some more of my 'codex incendium' pieces - the burning books - and I've already shared 'fahrenheit 451' (one of the artists proofs is currently on tour with the meroogal award).... along with 'scientia inflammatus' (which was reproduced in the current issue of 'artlink')... here are some other burning towers....
'lumenae vitae'
(light of life)
ephemeral sculpture/ photography
'secundum libri'
(after the book)
ephemeral sculpture/ photography
This (and the top triptych) emerged from my second burning book towers - the tower was approx 1.8m tall and consisted of unwanted funk and wagnall encyclopaedias.
Just visible in the background of the above 2 shots is the outline of Gulaga (the mother) mountain - it is a hugely significant peak in Australian colonial history - most people are not aware that Gulaga (renamed 'Mt Dromedary' by Cook... reclaimed as 'Gulaga' in the 1980/90s) is the first place in Australia that is mentioned (in its colonial name) in both Cook's and Banks' journals... a week or so before the Endeavour came ashore at Botany Bay (there's another of those renamed sites....). This hidden local history is something that has influenced much of my work in recent years...
'sic transit gloria mundi'
(thus passes the glory of the world)
ephemeral sculpture/ photo triptych
This last triptych is from the third and final burning book tower of last winter - which was set up beside one of the fast shrinking dams here at Sams Creek - (as much for safety's sake as an artistic decision!)
Most of these works have been reproduced at a fairly solid size (about 50cm x 80cm approx for each.... and that's the individual pic size for each of the 3 works in the above triptych) and are being released in limited editions (no more than 5 of each individual work)
PS ... Given that 2 days ago we had temps over 44C (111F) I'm not sure that this is the best time of year to post pics of anything burning.... but heck its taken me so long to get around to posting these...if I didn't do it now goodness only knows when I'd do it....
Hi Ronnie, what beautiful works; I love 'em. It sounds like you've got a lot on your plate already this year so I wish you lots of energy as well as rain. And thanks for the invitation: won't get dowm anywhere near you for a while but perhaps towards the middle of the year when we head south to see the in-laws...? It would be lovely to see Sams Creek - and you, of course! Sara x
ReplyDeleteHi Ronnie
ReplyDeleteThese photos of your works are strong and powerful. They seem important, as if they are speaking many truths about books across the ages.
I like the way you name your work as well - the thought behind it and the way it makes you take another step when regarding the work.
Re showing your work on the internet - its a bit of a conundrum, but I think these photos support one of my theories (sometimes at odds with my other theories!) that it is important to get original work out here and dated - so that people know that you were doing this thing (the stacks and burning) at a point in time - well before anybody else started doing it. The internet publishing can give some kind of cred to that part I think (also makes it easier for others to copy...but your watermarked photos are a good plan).
Sorry for the long comment - I really love these works.
Fiona
thanks Sara and Fiona for such supportive comments (goodness Fiona I'm delighted and honoured that you've left me such a considered reply... so no apologies please - I'm giving out thanks instead)
ReplyDeleteI remain in the mix regarding internet posting - and yes as you picked up that I plonked a rather obvious watermark on all the photos just to make the issue of creative ownership or whatnot bleedingly obvious... (I'd actually done so because I posted these same small versions on my fb page - and fb copyright stuff is simply outrageous!)
I don't think I'll easily reconcile my unease with certain aspects of internet information transfer.... but I'm also thrilled by so many other aspects of it (this interchange is a prime example of the positives!)
and one of your other comments has reminded me that I really should tell a little something about the titles of my works - maybe when I post another few of the works I'll do just that