Students from the School of Creative Arts and Humanities are producing a series of Ephemeral Art Works made out of cardboard for the Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival opening on April 28.
There is a long tradition of ephemeral art in Darwin evolving out of a rich landscape and Indigenous materials. The intensity of the tropical climate with its accelerated growth and decay is part of an ephemeral cycle within the natural world.
Ephemeral art is not intended as permanent work. The artist is liberated to explore new areas of design and construction outside of conventional constraints. The artist is able to utilise a range of free, organic or recycled materials.
Ephemeral art can exist for a short duration in response to a specific site or issue.
CDU lecturer Tobias Richardson and Darwin artists Colin Holt and Gwenyth Broug are involved in the project, as well as students from higher education and vocational and technical education (VTE) courses at CDU.
Gwenyth Broug has designed a series of large cardboard works representing the Pied Butcher Bird. These sentinel birds are installed among the native bush flora along the Nightcliff foreshore. Ms Broug has worked on public arts events throughout Australia including for the Festival of Darwin and Parade.
CDU students have all produced their own ephemeral works out of cardboard. Subjects include large planktons, robotic geckoes, castle keeps, boats, jigsaw puzzles, birds and butterfly crossings.
The combined higher education and VTE students taking the Sculpture elective class have been working with Darwin artist Colin Holt to produce a series of assemblage sculptures. Their subject matter incorporates smashed up damaged cars, figures and other crazy abstract constructions.
Darwin High School students involved in the VET in schools program at CDU have extended the original bird theme created by Ms Broug to develop a series of bird forms for the festival.
Contemporary music students from CDU took part in the opening day of the festival with performances on the CDU music stage. Among the performing students were singer/song writer Leigh Chisholm (pictured) and Darwin-born hip hop artist MC Reid.
* The Seabreeze Festival runs April 28 to May 6.