Vicki
West's words made from dodda vine hover above the thousands of people
whose focus is the main stage of the Marion Bay Falls Festival. This
is art that embraces it's location and, if you are open to it,
introduces interesting discussion and insight. The punters may not
understand the meaning of the words lome
merker (deep water) leaturi
(wave) gunta
(earth) and karnelare
(echo), but this work can be appreciated as it is suspended against
the backdrop of the hills, bush and coastline. There is a lovely
layering and irony about these Aboriginal words hanging so
comfortably above the land that was once inhabited by another and is
now covered in a swarm of music lovers.
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| Vicki West's Water Waves Earth Echoes |
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| Ralf Haertel's very tactile & luscious Earthpoles |
Unlike
the safety of a white walled gallery, the paddocks, waterways and
trees of the Marion Bay property that accommodates the Falls
Festival does not have the usual cues that guide the audience.
Aboriginal artist, Vicki West is one of 12 environmental artists who
produced artwork that sat in and around the 15 000 festival goers.
Such festivals were once purely music, but in the last 5-10 years
they have incorporated an arts program with performance, visual arts
and installations.
The
challenges in developing art that can be included in such events must
be huge. The OH & S issues alone could stimey most, but then
there is the added acknowledgement that the majority of individuals
attending these events are tanked on alcohol and drugs. This
represents a huge issue for artists wishing to engage with
individuals within the crowd without encouraging the destruction of
artworks. How do they do it and what is the intention? And how does
environmental art fit into this context? It's one thing to develop an
artwork that is bright, shiny and engaging, but does message laden
and conscience driven art have a place at such events.
