What: I am the Ocean, you are the sky, Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition.
Explores theme of nautical mythology and historical events, including the Wreck of the Cataraqui, Australia deadliest maritime disaster off King Island.
Legacy of Arts Tasmania Residency to King Island in 2013, highlighting the importance of artist residencies, during the 20th year celebration of Arts Tasmania National Park residency program.
Where: Handmark Gallery, 77 Salamanca Place
Who: Contemporary Jeweller and Maker Shauna Mayben
Key Dates: Opens 6pm, 9th December 2017. Exhibition continues to 27th December 2017
In 1845 the Wreck of the Cataraqui was Australia deadliest maritime disaster drowning 400 victims mere metres away from safety off the King Island coastline. This is the true story that continues to be hauntingly re-examined in the artwork created by contemporary Jewellers Shauna Mayben, which will be opened to the public at Handmark Gallery, Salamanca at 6pm Friday, 9th December 2016.
This body of work is a legacy from lines of enquires explored in Mayben’s work since undertaking an Arts Tasmania Cultural Residency in 2013. This year Art Tasmania is putting a spotlight on their unique 20 year partnership with Tasmanian National Parks to offer unique residency program to Tasmanian artists. Mayben comments ‘this exhibition highlights the importance of residencies and the impact it can have of an artists practice. This is now the second solo exhibition and significant body of work that continues to come from that experience, and in doing so, the wider local public are learning about this incredible piece of our history – I’m not sure how widely known it is in our own community that the largest marine disaster in Australia’s history happened metres from our own shores.
For over a decade Shauna Mayben has explored notions of love, sentimentality, history and the human story through her work. Reoccurring elements include vessels, keepsakes and the preservation of ‘non valuable’ items that are a touchstone to a precious place, person or memory. In the past this has included the use of hair, photographs, old family objects and bones.
In this current exhibition I am the ocean, you are the sky, Mayben explores the dramatic stories of our Tasmanian colonial history with the sea. The alluring shimmer of abalone shells, which been carefully crafted and polished, are presented as precious objects alongside the gemstones. These shells are not only unique in their exceptional beauty but connect Mayben’s objects to the hard Tasmanian coastal waters, as the natural abalone habitat are reef environments in areas of high wave energy. These are the same conditions that have been the demise of many through shipwrecks with tragic human loss.
Shauna Mayben is an established contemporary jeweller and maker. She completed her Masters with Distinction in the Fine Art and Design at the University of South Australia in 2006 and completed a two year intensive Associateship at the Jam Factory Contemporary Craft and Design. This exhibition is presented at Handmark Gallery in Salamanca until 27th December. The development of work for this exhibition was supported by the Tasmanian Regional Arts Fund, administered by Tasmanian Regional Arts.
Adrian Pickin
