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| Kath Fries, Bundanon studio work in progress, 2012 |
On one of my walks around the Bundanon property I spotted this broken tree branch and took it back to my studio. I've been fascinated by its twisting shapes and dark textured bark patched with moss and lichen, but during most of my residency this branch sat alone in a corner of my studio. It seemed so complete on its own, it took me a long time to find a way that I could use it in an installation without undermining its original integrity.
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| Kath Fries, Bundanon studio work in progress, 2012 |
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| Kath Fries, Bundanon studio work in progress, 2012 |
Then on my second last day, as I was untangling a clump of moss, I noticed that the tiny stems and leaves of moss echoed the shape of the branch, creating a micro-marco link and tangental narrative.
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| Kath Fries, Bundanon studio work in progress, 2012 |
This branch, mounted on a wall towing a wistful trail of moss fragments, seemed reminiscent of cooler climate traditions of deer antlers displayed as interior decoration. The first non-indigenous people to live in this area were the McKenzie family who were originally from Scotland - they nostalgically named the property Bundanon. They lived here from 1838 to 1968, like all colonial settlers they cleared, fenced and farmed this land, permanently changing its appearance and altering the natural environment. In 1866 they built a grand sandstone homestead now preserved in pristine condition, just a few meters down the hill from my studio.
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| Kath Fries, Bundanon studio work in progress, 2012 |
Thank you Bundanon Trust for hosting me as one of your artists-in-residence.
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