Pip Enever, Blue Mountains Bushfire – Metamorphosis

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Country : Australia

Materials : Smalti, blocchi, scribbly gum bark, burnt tin, rusted metal objects, ironstone, beach glass, glass, smalti, gold

Dimensions : 58 x 20 x 2 cms

The regenerative power of the scribbly gum forests near my home is the inspiration for my work. Just months after the wildfire, with almost supernatural ability, life burst through burnt bark, grass trees sprang to life and seeds cracked open by the heat lead to a vivid undergrowth. The juxtaposition of the living and the dead is loaded with an expression of hope but also a sadness. In spite of the green shoots of optimism the prognosis of whether the bush will have the capacity to withstand more frequent wildfires caused by climate change and recover its ecosystems, is looking grim.

Juror’s Comments

“The triptych format of this really heartfelt artwork gives a sense of peace, it is so lovingly created. However, this soon has the viewer go on a cyclic journey through the destruction of fire, the waiting and drying and the hint of new growth and finally the hope of the green shoots coming forth indicating new life has commenced; in fact new life triggered by the fire. The strength of the three panels is in the deep honouring of the subject matter. The actual remarkable bark of the tree and other found objects that one comes across in a forest are all beautifully brought together as a feast for the eyes.”