Local Bushwalk
South Newcastle, Bathers Way, Muloobinba, Newcastle
Local Bushwalk is about noticing relationships and connections that exist between the trees and plants that reside in the dynamic bushland of Muloobinba. This sandblast artwork is based on a series of ink sketches on paper drawn in situ. Through observation and discussion with local Elders and National Parks Officer Gary Luke, I have captured the forms, marks, and interplays in nature that I pass as I walk the Yuelarbah Track through Glenrock and the coastal heathland walk of the Awabakal Nature Reserve.
This artwork presents a still, captured when moving though landscape. It considers how trees and plants symbiotically support each- leaning trees hold each other up to the light, long branches rest on a neighbouring tree. Vines wrap their way up and across, forming trails through the tree tops. Moths etch their journey into a scribbly gum’s trunk, lomandra and beach grasses sweep in the wind, leaving marks in the soil and sand. For me, these relationships, interactions, and traces reflect Newcastle’s supportive and responsive community.
