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26. Caitlin Bowe

In the sight of the unwise they seem to die, 2023

plaster, ribbon, clasp

 

 

Seed of the mighty oak tree the acorn, though it can fit in the palm of your hand, holds so much potential. Carved into stones they symbolise strength, honour, longevity and steadfastness, a testament to those who have been asleep for so long. Acorns collected and transformed into plaster doubles, their collective magnifying the strength that they symbolise. In the sight of the unwise they seem to die sits from branches, secured by ribbon, ghostly spectators charged to watch over the visitors of Rookwood.

Caitlin Bowe thanks Arts South Australia for their support of this project.

About the Artist

 

Caitlin Bowe has Irish and British ancestroy, she lives on Kaurna Land in Adeliade, S.A.

@caitlin.bowe

www.caitlinbowevisualartist.wordpress.com

 

 

Transcription

 My name is Caitlin Bowe, and I'm an Adelaide based sculptor. My work for the HIDDEN Rookwood exhibition is titled In the Sight of the Unwise, They Seem to Die. This work is based off of the acorn, which is the seed of the oak tree. In funerary symbology, this symbol represents strength, honour, and steadfastness, and is a testament to those who are now past.

Looking at the Victorian language of symbols—which is something that I've always been interested [in], but I've only just started to incorporate it into my practice—I'm really interested in the idea that grief is an extension and an expression of love, and that these symbols that are used in the funerary art is also an extension of this.

So being able to travel to the UK and Ireland and Italy and seeing more examples of these symbols, I really wanted to incorporate that into this work. So, we can see that these are plaster casts, cast from a real acorn, and I'm hanging them from this tree secured by ribbons. In my studio, I do a lot of casting, usually in wax and now transitioning into metals, but I wanted that stark white contrast with the natural landscape of the cemetery. So, this is why I chose to go with the plaster.

I've had this idea for this specific work for a couple of years now, but never really had the right place to exhibit it, which is why I'm really excited to be able to work with Rookwood Cemetery. Being able to make something that is site responsive, it's really exciting for me and I love to be able to do that with my practice. And so… Rookwood is just the perfect site for my work and is just a beautiful, beautiful place.

When installing this work, the tree that I chose to put this work in, you can walk into it. And that's quite deliberate because these works are so small, but the plaster picks up so much detail. I did want the audience to be able to walk into the space and feel like they're within the artwork and sort of engulfed in these works.