Exits and entrances, 2023
cast resin, white marble dust, moss
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About the Artist
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Transcription
My name is Harry Copas, and my work in Hidden 2023 is titled Exits and entrances.
It is a 1 to 1 scale copy of an old fly screen door. I made a silicone mould using the door, and then cast the work using a combination of clear epoxy resin and white marble dust. I collected sections of moss from various locations around Sydney and blended them together to create a paste, added some buttermilk, and painted this onto the surface of the work. After weeks of water and care, moss began to emerge on the surface of the door. The process itself, whilst laborious, is reflective of my interest in the life cycle of objects and materials.
The work emerged from a recent visit to Rookwood for a funeral. Whilst we were waiting for the hearse to arrive, I observed the grave diggers use an old screen door covered in Astroturf to cover the grave, both before and after the casket was lowered down. Whilst the premise of the work came from a death, this work is very much about life.
A range of organic and non-organic materials are given another life cycle. An old screen door destined for the tip is used for the mould. Waste marble dust from the construction industry is gathered and combined with the resin to create a monumental effect, especially when placed adjacent to carved tombstones. The slow growing properties of moss pair well with the stillness of time that exists within a cemetery’s walls.
By sourcing moss spores from urban areas outside Rookwood, an injection of life occurs that is not immediately evident. I deliberately use common objects and materials in my practice to invite viewers to draw their own associations and experiences from the work.
Beyond that, I’d like people to walk away from the work with a heightened awareness of the way seemingly inanimate objects and materials absorb life around them, and how we can be considerate of this as we too move through life.