Kath Fries Studio: Week 1 - Hill End artist-in-residence

Kath Fries, Murray's cottage spring evening, 2013

I'm lucky to be the current artist-in-residence at Murray's cottage in Hill End NSW, previously home to the prominent Australian painter Donald Friend (1947-1957) and Donald Friend (1947-1980s).

Kath Fries, Murray's cottage back garden, 2013

There is an amazing profusion of prunus (stone fruit) blossom in Hill End at this time of year. Petals drift on the wind and carpet the lawn, sprinkle across tabletops and become haphazardly pressed between book pages.

Kath Fries, Hill End Prunus blossom, 2013

The steady humming of honey bees is almost deafening when you stand under these blossom trees. Marking a stark contrast to the rapid decline of honeybee populations elsewhere in the world.

Kath Fries, Hill End honeybee and blossom, 2013

I’ve been repeatedly using beeswax in my artwork this year, exploring its physical materiality and as a reference to the alarming global honeybee colony collapse disorder. A box of beeswax sheets came to Hill End with me, along with other odd materials and studio supplies. Although I wanted to continue working with beeswax, I wasn’t quite sure how it would meld with my immediate experiences of time and place here.

Kath Fries, Blossom petals in a spiderweb, 2013

The other day I left a sheet of beeswax on the outside stone table for just a few minutes, when I returned tiny blossom petals were scattered across it – and I began to wonder how I could hold onto this delicate impermanence. The heat of the spring sunshine softened the wax a little, so I could carefully press and bruise each petal into the honeycomb hexagonally patterned surface. Over the course of the day each petal dried out, forming a taut micro drum skin across the raised beeswax.

Kath Fries, Blossom petals pressed onto beeswax sheet, 2013

Kath Fries, Blossom petals pressed onto beeswax sheet, 2013

Annual hanami parties in Japan, celebrate the cherry blossom season and have been going on for over a thousand years. The cherry blossom has many culturally symbolic interpretations in Japan and this beautiful brief seasonal spectacle is featured extensively in artwork and poetry. The ephemeral nature of the blossoms speaks of the passage of time and impending loss. According to Japanese Buddhist tradition, the breathtaking but brief beauty of the blossoms symbolises the transient nature of life.

Kath Fries, Blossom petals pressed onto beeswax sheet in tree branches, 2013

Many of the heritage buildings in Hill End date from the 1870's gold rush, when this town was prosperous and densely populated. Today the wattle and daub cottages contain a palpable sense of history and remain intact due to seemingly temporary make-do-and-mend sporadic maintenance efforts. Low ceilings are bowing, stained from leaks and heavy rain, and corner cracks are stuffed with newspaper or whatever comes to hand.

Kath Fries, Blossom petal carpet, 2013

The old shed at the end of Murrays cottage’s back garden is a fantastical construction of random left over pieces, brick on one side and slab (wooden palings and pieces of metal sheeting) on the others - with a padlocked door and entire wall missing behind. Numerous holes from long lost nails and burrowing insects allow the sunlight to filter though.

Kath Fries, Murray's shed, 2013

I whimsically began placing a blossom in each of these holes. The small punctures in the metal reminded me of Ned Kelly's shot through armour, the holes became wounds and the flowers symbolising healing or memorial.

Kath Fries, Blossoming shed, 2013

Kath Fries, Blossoming shed, 2013

Next to the old shed is an open rusty metal cube, once minimalist and functional, now decrepit and dilapidated. Like the shed, the cube is pieced by holes allowing light inside and creating an intriguing surface and sense of permeability.