By Jed Lanyon
Healesville artist Clare James opened her new sculpture in Queens Park on Wednesday 10 July.
Ms James’ sculpture features 12 nests from a variety of birds held up high by rods protruding from the ground.
She said she sees a park as an incubator for a person’s childhood where they can come and grow, much like a nest that is used by baby birds.
“I look at the nest as being a symbol of an incubator, just as a park is an incubator in a way for young children to learn how to play with one another in a safe place and to learning skills needed to become well-rounded adults,” she said.
“A nest is built with the intention of a baby bird being nurtured and looked after until it’s ready.
“In designing and building a park, there’s an element of hope for the future and hope that it will help children have fun and learn and play… I thought a nest and a park would go well together.”
Ms James and other local artists were invited by Yarra Ranges Council to submit their designs for the Queens Park sculpture.
“It needed to relate somehow conceptually or aesthetically to the play space… and have some connection to local Wurrundjeri story or culture.”
The sculpture is situated in Queens Park next to the new playground and can be viewed while travelling through Healesville on the Maroondah Highway.
Ms James will be among 40 artists to have their artwork on display at the Eden Unearthed exhibition in Sydney from 1 August.
Her work, ‘The Last Resort’ is inspired by a dystopian and apocalyptic future where animals have come together for their safety and security to build their nests high off the ground. This work represents their nest as a place of last resort and a hope that things will get better.
Ms James said she draws inspiration for her artwork from her love for nature.
“I think I’ve never lost the wonder for nature. I am constantly in awe of the complexity of nature and the beauty of it.
“I have a grave concern for the environment. I have done work on extinction and things that just break my heart, but I also like celebrating the beauty of nature.
Ms James hopes people might gain a deeper respect or concern for the natural world through some of her artwork.
The Healesville artist shared another project she had been working on, where she painted a 1.8 metre detailed coral reef using water coloured paints and then set 200 snails onto it while a photographer captured photos to form a time lapse video.
“He took 35,000 images of the snails eating away at the paper that the painting was on. It literally looks like parts of it are being bleached away because the snails eat layers eaten away because the snails.”
