Mapping the Antipodes, 2016-2017

Commissioned by Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, this work was inspired by medieval maps of Europe that were inhabited by wild creatures, based in the belief that every animal on land had a water world equivalent. Comprised of interchangeable elements, this antipodean exploration includes a wombat fish and a kangaroo sea dragon, along with more contemporary elements like a surfboard riding penguin, which can be arranged to create multiple dynamic narratives. A large pair of gumboots add a level of fantastic uncertainty about the narrative context and the role of the viewer as both the author and the audience of their own adventure.

Designed for a glass vitrine display case 150 x 11 x 14 cm, the hospital viewing site receives many repeat visitors, so this work aims to engage the viewer with a narrative universe that evolves and reverts over time.