Statement
The river can be seen as the metaphorical lifeblood on which the city cradles, it contains a long history, sustains life and is an indicator of the health of the surrounding environment. From a cultural and environmental perspective, humanity has had its impact on the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) as it navigates its way past the city. Exploring these viewpoints, my practice-led research aimed to challenge this understanding and to experiment with what that means, materially and metaphorically. Using plastic as material and acknowledging it as an environmental villain, it looks at that which is cast out /discarded and abnormal if found floating in natural waterways, echoing both Kristeva’s The Abject and Freud’s The Uncanny. The aim was to create abstract imagery that connects to the landscape and the importance of this waterway, reflecting on how we can better connect, respect and care for this river and its stories.
Sharon Baker is an emerging, multi-disciplinary artist who explores the themes of lost memories, histories, and narratives; seeking how our past can be reimagined and reconstructed through a contemporary art lens to inform our futures.