Bernadette Smith
‘Encounter’ is a visual meditation on the statuesque beauty and fragility of a mid-life fig tree reaching out with its aerial roots to buttress a connection with the Earth. This physical interaction within an urban habitat is both timeless and ephemeral considering the finite nature of all species facing climate extinction. The diaphanous material of the artwork shows the tree trunk hovering precariously within the man-made environment of the gallery visible through it. This translucency acts as a metaphor for nature’s dependence on the positive actions of humans to survive and the tenuous quality of that relationship.
Synergies – Much of my art practice is based on imaging nature in visceral ways to make an emotional connection with viewers. Synergies is a diptych based on the idea of nature’s elements coming together to form a synergistic habitat. Along an urban drainway tree branches hanging over the water reflect their intertwining relationships while to the right a close-up perspective of a fig tree shows a more intimate view of this vital part of the eco-system.
Instagram: @bernadette_smith_artist
Website: bernadettesmithart.blogspot.com.au