Sally Simpson’s work reflects her fascination with the way values and meaning assigned to land change over time, according to point of view, culture and situation. For ‘Venerated Remains’, Simpson collected materials at Lake Mokoan, Victoria, which is a man-made lake in the process of being converted by local council into Winton Wetlands.
The materials employed in her sculptures, including discarded irrigation pipe, lace, mud and fish bones, reflect the fragility of this environment in flux. The intimate scale and finely applied gold leaf enhance their association with unearthed treasures. Her drawings of mummified fish found at the lake suggest the provisional nature of survival in a changing environment.
Stanley Street Gallery
Until 12 April, 2014
Sydney
Venerated Remains (detail), 2011, fish bones, lace, mud, gold leaf, dimensions variable
Photographed by David Paterson
