Tread Upon
Sand Installation (sand & cardboard stencils)
Exhibited as part of 'Walk this Earth Alone'
Gallery @ Grande Provence, Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa.
Dimensions variable
2012
Sand installation, using sand and cardboard stencils to create the silhouettes of insects and leaves on the floor of the gallery, as well as using time as element for the creation and destruction. This work is focused on sand as material, medium and inspiration – sand representing the dust of our existence, the kernels resulting from ancient rocks’ erosion, and thus a symbol of time and also place. The installation is a metaphor for the marks we leave behind as we tread upon the landscape, the spoor we leave in the sand. It is inspired by the Karoo 2052 exhibition, seen by the artist during the National Arts Festival in July 2012, as well as earlier work by the artist herself as part of HumanEarth and the SCAPES project.
As part of the art installation, I specifically did not put poles and ropes up to keep people away from the artwork – the intention was for people to accidentally walk unto the artwork and destroy the stylized images of insects and foliage, as symbol of the way we destroy insects and plant life in the “real” landscapes, whether intentionally or unintentionally through the choices we make and the products we buy. Fracking in the Karoo is only possible if we as the public and as tax payers keep silent about our opposition against it. Renewable energy is viable as an energy solution for our country, but the government will only invest in it if we demand it. If we do nothing, we are allowing the destruction of our planet through coal mining, nuclear waste and fracking, and we are treading upon the landscape very harshly and mindlessly.
