Bulging Ichorous

2015 / Sculpture at Scenic / Winner

In taking hold of the molten glass and working with it I come to know the material intimately - its properties, its strengths and weaknesses as well as its dangers and loveliness.  It is a seductive material. Much has been written of the alchemical processes in working with glass - the transformation of  “base” matter into something precious. This transformative process is duplicated when I carve and sand the tree trunks found in Kurrajong, at the base of the Blue Mountains. It is an enjoyable process of attending to every little dip, bump, grain - personal and loving. It can also be brutal with the use of chainsaws, grinders, chisels, fumigation and blowtorches. The trunks are scarred all over with a solid black tattoo while its core remains an earthy red. The forms themselves undergo an endurance test. In a simultaneous movement, the gestural actions allow an emotional re-enactment of sorts which alters my being and my body.  The work and the body are one.

Stevie Fieldsend, has taught and lectured at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney where she recently completed a Master of Fine Arts. Early in her career she completed two years as artist-in-residence at The Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre in Adelaide. She has worked in glass design and production, and is now focusing on installation and sculpture.  Stevie Fieldsend has participated in many solo and group exhibitions both in Australia and internationally. Her awards include the 2012 Sculpture in the Vineyards Prize  and the 2013 Rookwood Necropolis Sculpture Award and  in 2013 she was a finalist in Blake Prize and Willoughby Sculpture Prize.  She is represented by Artereal Gallery, Sydney and was recently in included in both Sydney and Melbourne’s Contemporary Art Fairs. 

Photography Cornel Robinson