Remnants

The works in ‘remnants’ have evolved in response to the tidal and estuarine regions near to where I live on the North West coast of Tasmania. The organic and synthetic forms and debris, found and collected, as I walk with my daughter along the river delta, are objects of fascination and beauty.

The continual movement of water and the flow and circulation of ocean currents, sculpt these organic forms and natural and artificial fibres into strange assemblages, perhaps echoing the spheres spun by the ocean currents in the convergence zone; the garbage patch of the Pacific Ocean. In this zone, rope, netting, plastics and the organic flesh of ocean flora and fauna become intertwined, spun together into immense spheres until released from the vortex when a critical mass is reached.

In contrast these paintings are intimate studies in abstraction, encapsulating the wonder and fragility of our natural ecologies. Tiny skeletal branches, textured sea sponges, brittle fragments of fossilized coral and synthetic netting are the source. They are metaphorically woven together for their capacity to evoke complex patterns and architectures that mimic the rhythms of natural forces. The paintings are intended to convey the transient and mysterious beauty of our environment and the cycles of renewal and transformation.

– Anne Morrison 2010