Artist finds inspiration on the foreshore

Research addressing the impressions that recreational activity leaves on the Northern Territory’s coastline and its people will be presented at an international arts conference this month.

Visual Arts Lecturer Sarah Pirrie said her research examined how communities engaged with coastal environments through social and cultural events, such as the Territory Day fireworks’ display and the Beer Can Regatta.

“It started with me walking along the beach and coming across man-made items,” Ms Pirrie said.

“Working with discarded drink bottles, burnt-out fireworks’ casings and abandoned cars, I explored how contemporary communities interact with their environment.

“This made me consider how Territorians use coastal locations to carry out the social and cultural aspects of their personal and public lives.

“I found that the coastline acts as a location where nature and culture intersect, and how people interact with the coastal environment can play a role in the formation of their identity.”

Ms Pirrie will show a component of the stunning visual arts installation, entitled “Runoff” at the Balance-Unbalance International Conference 2013 in Noosa, Queensland, next month.

“I wanted to reflect the constant change of coastlines in my art, and made Runoff out of components that can be added and removed to alter its form,” Ms Pirrie said.

In its complete arrangement, the three-dimensional work, constructed from hand-made paper and found objects, is more than 30 metres long.

Ms Pirrie is supported by an Australia Council for the Arts ArtStart Grant.