When I was in the Sculpture by the Sea, I concentrated on sculpture number 85. Its name was 'proliferation'. Jean Downes made it and she lives in a retirement village in the northern beaches of Sydney. Jean Downes used 221 mushrooms to represent 'proliferation' of European settlement. The sculpture's material is glazed earthenware. For the mushroom tops, Jean uses tea strainers, graters, small brushes to shape and work a variety of textures. For the mushroom stalks, Jean uses a wide brush and applies 3 coats of gloss white glaze to the stalks and underside the tops. Each mushroom is 20cm*200cm*500cm.
In my opinion, Sculpture 'proliferation's type is figurative. From my experience,when the mushroom meets a suitable environment, they grow up strong and quickly. For 221 years, European settlement has been relentlessly expanding across the Australian landscape.Each mushroom represents one year of colonisation. If you stand by the mushrooms,you are able to feel the spirit of the artist.
In my opinion, Sculpture 'proliferation's type is figurative. From my experience,when the mushroom meets a suitable environment, they grow up strong and quickly. For 221 years, European settlement has been relentlessly expanding across the Australian landscape.Each mushroom represents one year of colonisation. If you stand by the mushrooms,you are able to feel the spirit of the artist.
I think the artist wants to say the settlement looks weak, mushrooms are not strong plants, but once it is here, it cannot be prevented from spreding.
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