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| Kath Fries, Solace, 2014, beeswax on window, sunlight and shadow, SCA studio |
Recently, I've been continuing my Solace series of installations in my studio at Sydney College of the Arts, Rozelle. Working with sheets of beeswax to create patterns with transient sunlight and shadows, like a sundial, this work traces the passage of time.
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| Kath Fries, Solace, 2014, beeswax on window, sunlight and shadow, SCA studio |
Beeswax is a material in a constant state of flux, changing from brittle to malleable and opaque to translucent, with just a few degrees difference in temperature. When warmed beeswax gives off a delicious honey scent and reminds me that people all over the world have worked with bees, their hives, wax and honey since ancient times.
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| Kath Fries, Solace, 2014, beeswax on window, sunlight and shadow, SCA studio |
The wax patterning in Solace links back to the structure of the hive where the beeswax originated, and where worker bees danced on it in precise figure-eight shapes to communicate the location of pollinating flowers in relation to the position of the sun.
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| Kath Fries, Solace, 2014, beeswax on window, sunlight and shadow, SCA studio |
Solace reflects on the passage of time, moment to moment as the shifting angles of sunlight penetrate the interior space. It also looks back to a long historical relationship between humans and bees, implying concern for the future and our complex, fragile intricate interconnections with both our micro and macro environments.
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| Kath Fries, Solace, 2014, shadow - detail view, SCA studio |
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| Kath Fries, Solace - trace, 2014, beeswax on window, sunlight and shadow, SCA studio |
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| Kath Fries, Solace - trace, 2014, beeswax on window, sunlight and shadow, SCA studio |
Previous versions of Solace were installed last year at Murrary's Cottage in Hill End and also at Archive Space in Newtown, link.
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