1:1 Wind Turbine Blade
This large-scale work was made for the exhibition 'Energaia, Imagining Energy Futures' held at the John Curtin Gallery. The exhibition features works by artist-academics from Curtin University responding to the theme of energy humanities by 'foregrounding the value of human imagination in actively shaping our social, political and experiential future'.
Statement
Created on site at a wind farm in Western Australia, this artwork was made in and with the environment. The position of the wind turbines orients the blades to capture the power of the prevailing winds. By extension, that same wind energy impacted on the laboriously prepared washi paper sheets as they were bruised, creased and flattened against the turbine blades. I wanted to engage with the sheer scale of the turbines - as well as their location in one of Australia’s windiest regions - as a way to apprehend the physical and atmospheric registers of this immense energy source. The reference to scale in the title brings both an architectural and mapping perspective to the work. The blades are no longer an abstraction, at 1:1 scale they come into proximity with both the space of the gallery and to our own physical consciousness.
With thanks to Iderdrola Australia.