Let your imagination run wild with this sculptural ceramic exhibition by Lee-Anne Peters that takes you into another world.
Come and meet the ‘Old Man of the Mountain’ and his tribe before they retreat back to their homeland.
Meet the ‘Old Man of the Mountain’ and his tribe in the fantasy Land of Shymaree. Shymaree is a place on Earth that is hidden away from humans. No one there knows exactly why it is hidden, but some speculate that it is because there is too much greed, toxicity and rubbish in the human world – or maybe it’s because the Shymareeians aren’t too fond of technology. In any case, this tribe of figurative ceramic sculptures have left their land briefly to see what it’s like in the human world.
Within this exhibition showcase you will find a variety of ceramic characters living within their space and doing their work to help nature grow, survive and maintain its balance. According to ‘The Sage’ these beings helped form and mould the natural world we see around us. They still have roles to play in nature, from; helping support the change of seasons, to actively assisting tadpoles turn into frogs. There are even Shymareeians who help keep the Earth spinning – these are great marathon runners! Please note: it is unlikely these Earth Spinners will be visiting us anytime soon as their work is highly demanding.
The main character in this exhibition is the ‘Old Man of the Mountain’ sculpture. He is a wanderer, a traveller, a collector and a dreamer. The ‘Old Man of the Mountain’ is as old as the mountains themselves – so time moves very differently for him than it does for us. He wanders around the mountains making sure things are as they should be. Sometimes he rescues houses before they tumble off corroding cliffs or are sucked into sink holes!
The ‘Old Man of the Mountain’ is a dreamer. He dreams of reuniting with his long-lost love – the ‘Old Lady of the Mountain’. Although they once stood side by side, they still live worlds apart – dreaming of each other and remembering the good memories they shared from eons ago.
Joining the ‘Old Man of the Mountain’ are also; ‘The Sage’, ‘Phyta’ (short for: Magnoliophyta – definition: flowering plants), the ‘Old Lady of the Mountain’ and others.
Imagine, even for a moment, that you step away from the modern world, and back in time when the earth was wild and mostly uninhabited – similar to what we may imagine it to be like in the Land of Shymaree. What kind of world would it be? A world before politics, economics and the order of law we coexist with today.
If we had a blank canvas, or a time machine to go back into the past, would there be anything we would change or rules we would create differently? And if so, how might we be able to consider or apply such adjustments in our own life on this day?
The intention of the artist has been to create these figures that appear to live in their own little world. In this place the problems they face are much different to our own in the modern world, and Lee-Anne has created this place to help stimulate the viewer’s imagination and forget about their everyday dramas and problems – even for a moment.
This setting encourages us to question things for ourselves like – what is truly important? And what are we becoming lost in? How can we refocus on what is most important to us – from the perspective of an individual and a species?
Each character within this exhibition has a name and a story and these can be found on the artist’s website during the exhibition.
EXHIBITION DATES:
Thursday 4 – Sunday 28 November 2021*
*Installation viewable 24/7
Image Credits:
Lee-Anne Peters. Old Man of the Mountain (2021). Ceramics. H. 54cm x W: 19cm x D: 20cm. Zoko Photography.
Lee-Anne Peters. Various Sculptures (2021). Ceramics. H: 42cm – 54cm. Zoko Photography.