Sandra Pitkin
Past Present
Stainless Steel
700 x 500 x 120
POA
about
the
work
Connection to this land began with the original Gayamagal people and their Koradgee (medicine men and women healers) used the space for spiritual ceremonies and rituals. The medicinal oil from the old Melaleuca trees was used to dress wounds and the soft bark to wrap delicately wrap their babies.
The land has long been a healing place. Many people since were cared for among, and nurtured by the environment. Not only people isolated in quarantine but also veterans from war, orphans from Vietnam, and survivors of Darwin’s earthquake.
As a place affects a person, so too does the person affect the place. However small, there is an element of the person that becomes part of the place and the place’s memory.
This work is to acknowledge the memory of their presence in this space
“Quarantine” derives from the Italian words quaranta giorni, meaning "40 days": and was the original period of isolation on arrival at Q Station.
I have therefore chosen 40 forms to represent the people who lived in this space and therefore had a connection to this land.
Each simple form represents a presence, a partial container of memory, open to the environment whilst reflecting part of that environment. Though the forms are somewhat fragile, each one is grounded into the earth as the surrounding old melaleucas offer protection and space to be within.
The presence of the past is always within place. Past Present. (images: Sandra Pitkin)
bio
Since graduating BVA (hons) at Sydney College of the Arts Sandra has continued to exhibit widely, with major works selected for SxS on 6 occasions with two awards for the Site Specificity, recently the Australia Council for the Arts Award for New and Innovative Work. and the Peoples Choice Award at the 2020 Urunga Small Sculpture Prize.
Sandra’s work has been selected for many major public exhibitions including: Small Sculpture Prize Urunga, The Woollahra Art Prize, North Sydney Art Prize, Swell Sculpture Festival, Harbour Sculpture Exhibition, Willoughby Sculpture Prize, Sculpture at Scenic World, Macquarie University Gallery, with smaller works in local and Sydney galleries.
Her interest in Science, nature and human interaction, has led to a pursuit of understanding our connections, communication and sense of place.
Sandra often uses the forms of nature to initiate connection, before moving to another aspect of meaning to encourage reflection within the viewer.
Whilst often working with copper, silver brazing fine detail areas to form large works; Sandra continues to explore other media and methods of creation.
Sandra’s sculptures are represented in national private sculpture collections and many commissioned works.
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