The project 'What Lies Beneath' was made possible by the Australian Governments regional arts program, the Regional Arts Fund, which gives all Australians, wherever they live, better access to opportunities to practise and experience the arts. The Regional Arts Fund is administered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria.
The Sea Hammock which was part of this project was made at the Julia Street Creative Space (JSCS) in the upstairs studio, the downstairs exhibition space and also in the sculpture courtyard. Thank you to the staff and volunteers at the JSCS for the extraordinary amount of freedom and support they gave us to develop the project.
I would like to thank Mr Bob Stone, a retired engineer, who advised on issues of design in relation to appropriate engineering and safety every step of the hammock making process. Mr Stone was instrumental in organising, constructing and raising the frame of the hammock on the day of the festival.
In September 2011 the students from the Re-engagement Centre (See previous post in October) and staff Chris Thomas and Kara Young started to make the Sea Hammock in sections. Steps to this was
Step 1. Lay out 2m x 2m of 12 pack rings and cut about 12 3 metre lengths of twine to weave the overlapping 12 pack rings together.
A big thank you to aforementioned staff and students Daerin, Robert, Aaron, David, Jacob, Jayden, Jack, Alesha, Miranda, Dylan, Dylan, Jake, Janelle, Shelby, Josh, Brooke, Annabel, Zoe, Zac, Beau, Daniel, Sharon, Jorden, Taya, Lawannah, Talia and Tesharni for your tremendous efforts in making the 2m x 2m hammock pieces.
For a more detailed look at how this was done go to our you-tube video of two students, David and Daerin making the Sea Hammock section. The project was very fortunate to have the original music to this clip developed by composer Oonagh Sherrard.
Due to the Reengagement Centres policy on photographs of students on social media there are no photos of students making the hammock on this blog. There is however detailed photos of students work such as photos of flotsam and jetsam and collaged sea animals in previous posts.
Members of the Rotary club of Portland completed another 10 2m x2m pieces of the 20 pieces that were made.
Step 2. Use twine to tie the smaller sections of 12 pack ring Sea Hammock together into 4 10m by 2m pieces. Then attach 2m net lengths to both ends of each 10m piece.
This rather tiresome but sometimes absorbing job was done with good humour by Emma and Victor OBrien, Sylvia Walker, Bernice Bailey and the artist Catherine Bailey. We celebrated with Thai lunches before some sessions. This part of the hammock making involved learning the double sheep bend knot and a few others which which sadly I never mastered. Seems this side of my brain has atrophied. I do bizarrely retain the memory of a very specific fishing knot my father taught me when i was 12 years old.
Bernice and Emma make a large section of the hammock
Sylvia and Emma make a large section of the hammock after attaching the nets at either end.
Step 4. Use 30 metre pieces of recycled rope to tie the large sections of 12 pack ring Sea Hammock together into one large 14m X 8m piece.
This was actually done by students of the Re-engagement Centre and finalised by Emma, Victor, Sylvia and Catherine.
Members of the team of ALCOA workers who happened to be making a fence at the JSCS assist in carrying the sea hammock which by this stage is very heavy and now 14 metres x 8 metres.
Victor, Emma and Catherine lay out hammock and finalise ropes
and knots and cable ties
Victor, Emma and Catherine lay out hammock and finalise ropes
and knots and cable ties
Step 5. Bob Stone, consultant engineer, Gerry and Peter from the JSCS Woodturners Group lay out Sea Hammock on the Upwelling Festival day on Henty Beach.
Step 6. Bob Stone, Gerry and Peter from the JSCS Woodturners Group lift a 4 m treated pine support post of Sea Hammock into place on the Upwelling Festival day on Henty Beach.
View from under Hammock
View from under Hammock
This amazing artwork is from the JSCS collection. It was created in consultation with Artist Gordon Stokes in 2003/2004 as a community project for people who were unemployed
Sea Hammock on the day
Thankyou to Lesley Jackson, Jo Grant, Mandy, Zhan and Jade, Emma and Victor OBrien, Rebecca Marriot, Bob Stone, Peter and Gerry
for assembling and dismantling the Sea Hammock on the Upwelling festival Day
The work ‘What lies beneath’, featuring the Sea Hammock asks us to look at how we ‘seal the fate’ of our children and future generations though our current relationship with the environment.
This installation can be seen as a means of bringing our awareness to nature. From seeing it we might ask ourselves how are our local gannet, seal and penguin colonies as well as the other sea-life, which take part in the Bonney Upwelling, such as the krill, whales and sharks are being affected by the flotsam and jetsam, which was found on local beaches and then incorporated into the work.
For example when some biodegradable plastics break down in the ocean they mimic small fish and are ingested by birds, fish, dolphins and seals causing choking, obstructions in their digestive tracts and sometimes starvation. Some plastics also leach toxins into the sea as well as poison the food chain.
The “Seal Your Fate” motto, expressed in some of the artwork in this installation, might lead us to examine how we can further make responsible choices in our lives and our jobs to bring about a more positive and compassionate relationship between us and the sea.
I was in the middle of reading Moby Duck, an entertaining sea romp about, among other things, plastic and its effects on sea life and the ocean, when a friend who had tavelled to England brought my daughter a present.
A pink dressed plastic yellow duck from Harrods.
oh the irony.....
Community Partnerships and big thanks. - reposted!
Just been thinking about all the supportive people who have helped make the Sea Hammock for the Upwelling Festival Portland, 2011. Where to start.
the Australian Governments regional arts program, the Regional Arts Fund, and the Administering body in Victoria - Regional Arts Victoria - thank you for the generous grant which has made this project possible.
Bob Stone - may you live long and prosper. Thanks for your engineering knowledge and attention to detail.
Jo Grant the Regional Grant Development Officer from Regional Arts Victoria - Thanks for the amazing professional support, making time to come and physically make the hammock pieces and much more.
Nikki Pevitt and Leslie Jackson from the Julia Street Creative Space - thank you for your sustained support of the project and all the efforts you have gone to to make the project a success.
Trevor Smith - thanks for the generous material donations and the amazing arty Ab bag.
Therese Dolman - Thank you for the gorgeous screen-printed orange bags.
Rebecca Marriott and friends Sarah and Mara. How amazing to have you take part in this project. What fabulous works you all created.
Sylvia Walker, Emma and Victor O'Brien - where would the hammock be without you. Who would teach me to tie knots and them tie them. The project was all sewn up because of your generous help.
Chris Thomas, Kara Young, Andrew Eade and the Reengagement Centre Crew - obviously this hammock could not be made without your enthusiasm, good humor, tireless efforts and limitless creativity.
Gordon Stokes - you star. Thanks for coming to the party with very little notice with the exciting plastic cubes made in 2004 under a project called 'Plastics Ahoy'.
Pat, Bernard and Bernice Bailey - thanks for the additional childcare, general running around, sewing and material sponsorships. Love you all.
And Fionnuala, my patient, loving child.
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