Summary
Ghost nets are fishing nets that have come free, or have been cut free, from fishing boats. These become caught in global marine currents along with other debris, sea creatures, and plastic waste, tangling together, and eventually accumulating in the ocean gyres. There they fester, creating toxic output from the breakdown of manmade materials, in oceanic garbage patches the size of entire cities. Trawler nets in particular are enormous, denuding coral reefs and marine flora as they dredge the seabed unchecked and unconstrained. This is the narrative of this project which refers to the fable of Aphrodite - goddess protector of the sea from which she was born - and her tears which transformed into Anemone flowers. How is the genie to be returned to the bottle ? How is this Leviathan to be contained ?
GHOST NET – Capturing Narratives of Ghost Nets Through Soft Sculptural Installations
This project manifests an underwater kelp forest. I construct densely beaded and embellished soft sculpture to create a cluster of pillar-like installations. These relate to the theme of ecological conservation.
Sculptures assembled from detritus, plastic and ghost nets symbolise the immensely damaging nature of pullution, through the modern tyranny of plastic waste. The presence of tracking devices in the sculptural assembly references the use of technological equipment aiding the recovery of maritime ghost nets.
Sharon Lesley is a mixed-media artist based in Naarm (Melbourne) and Boorloo (Perth), practicing on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Whadjuk Noongar peoples. Sharon is undertaking a Master of Fine Art degree, and currently holds Honours in Fine Art, Bachelor of Fine Art, Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Visual Arts, and Cert IV in Visual Arts, all acquired at RMIT. Incorporating elements of multisensory sculptural installations, her works reference polluted environments, and incorporate subliminal recovery pathways within the creative processes.
Instagram: sharonlesley.artspace
Website: sharonlesley.com