An establishment for the diffusion of knowledge

2005 hanging installation, Hand cut paper, ink, thread and glass beads

Height of paper cuts 90 cm, width and depth variable

2004, Floor installation, Hand cut paper, ink, perspex rods, acetate

Made from an assortment of hand cut paper plants and trees grouped together to mimic the man made natural space of a garden, “An establishment for the diffusion of knowledge” presents the constructed natural landscape as a place where information can be obtained and our cultural identity contemplated.

“An establishment for the diffusion of knowledge” is a floor-based installation depicting a diorama of a constructed natural space, a garden. Made from a collection of hand cut paper plants and trees, the work explores the significance of a garden as a place where information can be obtained and our cultural identity contemplated. Imagery in the cutout detail of the leaves references the development of Melbourne as a city; together the trees will provide information about the cultural aspects of the grater landscape (or cityscape) it is located within, placing emphasis on the cultural and historical significance of such natural spaces.

In an urban landscape, the tree appears vulnerable and dispensable, its permanence is susceptible to the greater force of town planning, its significance seems so subtle that it is unnoticeable alongside the bold, attention grabbing slogans of contemporary culture. The installations dwarfed scale and ephemeral appearance parallels the vulnerability of the natural landscape, the handcrafted materials emphasise time, history and the details that can be found upon careful observation.

Making a place

Making a place 2004

Hand cut Paper, ink, acetate

Height 32 cm, width 225 cm, depth 205 cm

The Contours, bumps and crevices of the natural environment are deciding factors (influence the location, industry and social life of a township. As time passes, layers of human patterns are imprinted onto the landscape forming a narrative that frames the lives of the many people who have inhabited the space through history.

The making of a place maps the local landscape and the stories that have moulded it into the familiar surroundings we see today

there are evident parallels between the processes employed in paper cutting with developments of western society. The selective omission or inclusion of certain aspects of Australian life (both contemporary and historical) has been essential in the construction of Australia’s identity. Our cultural, economic and physical landscape is cut up, subdivided and shaped into an entity that suits our specific needs. Like a papercut its sustainability is questioned and inevitable decay is formidable.