Exhibition floor talk | Lost Soles: Beyond the sea
Loading...
Output Type
Other
Publication Title
Exhibition floor talk | Lost Soles: Beyond the sea
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
School
School of Arts and Humanities; ECU Galleries
Description
Exhibition Statement | Claire’s solo exhibition Lost Soles: Beyond the Sea, explores the multi-cultural migration of people to Australia. She makes social comments from the pressures placed on the early settlers, to the journey of the migrants, refugees and convicts, travelling across the sea, in their search to reach a land of hope & dreams.
It’s a collection of 30 sculptural works, that invites the viewer to take a closer look, as she tells the story of their extraordinary existence. From the ‘Lost Soles at Sea’ that observes the inhuman amounts of people who have boarded boats in search for better a life, their lost souls, drift in a sea of knowledge bound together in a vessel of hope… To the soulless boot, hooked up like a prize catch, which hangs on a piece of timber from Fremantle’s old Jetty ‘Hook, Line and Sinker’. If you dare to ‘Take a walk in my shoes before you judge me’ read the temperature gauge first, as they come from a place reaching boiling point!
A sculptural installation on the floor of Gallery 25 comprises of 108 convict soles taken from the shoes of the convict women of the first fleet on-board the Lady Penrhyn Ship in 1788. Folklore suggested the broad arrow was stamped on the sole of each convict shoe, so if they ran away, they could see which direction they were heading. There was no right or left shoe and you were considered lucky if you had two! Cast in resin they are finished with a green & gold colour changing pigment to represent the national colours of Australia and their final resting place. Above, float prayer flags from over 200 convict women from the second fleet, on-board the Lady Juliana Ship in 1789. Made from remnants of white cloth & ladies handkerchiefs with embroidered identity markings, they symbolize the tears and fear of their fate, held together and intertwined with a red & black handmade rope, they drift across the room in waves representing the daunting width and depth of the sea.
A sound installation accompanies the work and creates a body rhythm entrapment experience, as it synchronizes with the audiences’ breath and creates the illusion the sea can breathe. This work aims to provide historical identity to those lost souls, condemned to transportation, sentenced to a land beyond the seas. These first migrations are the bond that ties our cultural heritage together, bringing a sense of people and place through art.
It’s a thought provoking, intriguing and creative exhibition that dares to challenge your own lost soul and the story it has yet to tell.
Artist Bio | Claire Davenhall is an International Artist who graduated from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Sculpture, North Karelia Polytechnic in Finland & Athens School of Fine Art in 2000. In 2004, Claire studied a PGCE in Art Education at Lancaster University and became a Lecturer in Fine Art where she was proudly awarded the Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching & Learning and was nominated for two National Beacon Award in Art & Design.
She migrated to Western Australia at the end of 2007, where she has focused on exhibiting in beautiful locations such as Sculpture by the Sea in Cottesloe, Swell Sculpture Festival in Queensland, Castaways in Rockingham & Brighton Jetty Classic Sculptures in South Australia. She was awarded Winner of the Shinju Matsuri ‘A View to Asia’ in Broome 2016 & Major Prize Winner of the Drift Installation Awards 2017.
She continues to work in both Art & Education as Facilitator, Lecturer & Creative Practitioner.
Additional Information
Exhibition dates: 10 March - 7 April 2022 | Floor Talk: 6 April 12.30 - 1.30pm