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MEDIA RELEASE: Artists in Action Bringing a light touch to a serious subject, local artists John Dahlsen and Lynne Adams will celebrate environmental awareness at this year’s special Thursday Plantation East Coast Sculpture Show. The two artists are among 43 previous award winners invited to participate in the 10th anniversary of the show, which is shaping up to be an impressive event. John Dahlsen, of Byron Bay, is an international artist who has raised the appeal of recycled art to new levels. His colourful wall panels and totems are entirely assembled from flotsam and jetsam collected from Australian beaches. These objects he meticulously sorts and codes by colour, to make up his unique “artist’s palette”. His entry in the show is vintage Dahlsen in content, but reveals a fresh direction in technological innovation. He is making is a high-resolution digital image of a massed assemblage of pink-toned plastic objects, scanned onto UV-resistant photographic film then sandwiched between two toughened glass panels. Once installed, “Pink Shard” will appear like a semi-transparent hologram rising up from the ground. “One of the central concerns of my work is to create things of beauty,” says the artist. “I choose a challenging medium - discarded junk - that is in the process of being transformed by nature. My role is to transform it further, into a work of art that makes a strong statement while offering a positive aesthetic experience.” Lynne Adams, of Main Arm, is another artist whose whimsical works gently alert people to the environmental impact of unchecked consumerism. Her sculpture for the show, “Cagen’cactus”, is a bright-green plastic cactus, made from used Sprite bottles and encircled by a fence constructed from crocheted video tape. “Ours is such a throwaway society,” comments Adams. “If we keep consuming at this rate, we might reach a time when the last plant alive is the hardy cactus, which will have to be fenced for its protection and survival. “We need more lateral thinking about what to do with waste. We should be following the example of people in poorer countries who recycle it in such ingenious ways.” Many of this year’s exhibitors are proposing works that explore the intersection of manmade culture and the natural world, says curator Priya Woolston. “We are very excited by the vision of our artists, and applaud their talent for making art that is both beautiful and socially challenging.” Supporting the sculpture show to become even more successful in its anniversary year is lead sponsor WHK Rutherfords. The local accountancy firm’s commitment has helped the organisers raise the show’s prize-money pool to over $20,000.
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