Like Knight, Linton Meagher displays an enduring interest in cultivating a third dimension in his art. His representational wall pieces composed of small mass-produced items set in resin exist somewhere between painting and sculpture (plate 41). In some works the form of a female nude emerges from a sea of carefully assembled scalpel blades, off setting the sensual with the clinical and subverting the traditions of the nude and the material itself. It is not in his use of new media that distinguishes the sculptor Alexander Seton, but rather his engaging fresh approach to an ancient one. Working in marble and synthetic stone, Seton is part of a distinguished legacy of stonecarvers dating back to the classical period. Yet his sculptures are startling in the easy manner by which they comment upon and settle comfortably within the contemporary art arena. By choosing subjects deemed traditionally unworthy of immortalizing in stone, such as a deflated beach toy or an adolescent ‘hoodie’, Seton not only highlights his great technical ability but also his sharp conceptual stance (plate 52). Like Seton, Julia deVille reinterprets a traditional and conservative practice, updating it for the twenty-first century artworld. DeVille is a humane taxidermist, referencing the rich legacy of Victorian memento mori by artfully adorning her small creatures with jewels (plate 9). The artist draws our attention to the finite quality of life, a melancholic notion for many. Yet the deVille sidesteps tragedy by highlighting the exquisite brilliance of life it in all its forms, something which is celebrated at large in every work in the exhibition. All of the artists in WATTLE are unified by nationality, or at least the country they live and work in, and they share a concern for representing and expressing their contemporary culture and world. Throughout this consideration of some of the works in the exhibition many themes have emerged including the natural landscape, built environments, history, identity, science, technology, human nature and the seemingly endless options for the physical creation of art. Though these artists may display some mutual interests or even comparable approaches to their art in a superficial sense, there is no denying each of their unique qualities and unrelenting pursuit of artistic longevity. When the forty-five artists in WATTLE are taken as a whole they represent an unforgettably impressive cross section of Australia’s compelling contemporary art scene. Of course the artists selected here can only represent only a minute fraction of the artists working in Australia today. This is a personal selection and can never be, nor pretend to be, in any way definitive. WATTLE is a small insight into something much bigger and dizzyingly exciting and we hope it goes some way to foster a sustained interest in Australian contemporary art outside of the country for years to come.
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