Curious Attractions
- Linda Gilbert
- Jun 30, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 1, 2022
July 2021
These works are inspired by two ideas: limestone: specifically the lime quarry in Kaiwaka and Waipu Caves, and secondly, magneto reception: the ability to detect magnetic fields for direction, altitude or location.
I am researching the rich material life of limestone. The terrestrial quarry has a sculptural physicality and the liminal edges where it borders the road, farms, and bush are of interest. Waipu Caves has a subterranean, magical charm with its watery rivulets, glow worms, stalactites and stalagmites.
The specificity of limestone environments begins with the substrate for the work, which is called Rock Stock or Stone Paper, being made from calcium carbonate or limestone and marble. This tree free mineral paper, manufactured from milled quarry waste, is non-toxic and recyclable using no water and minimal energy.
For reasons I can’t yet fully explain, I am also intrigued by intangible, unseen energies that exist in these places. The rub and pressure of time, subterranean water sources and magnetic force fields, emanating from the core of the earth, attract me.
Australian artists Haines and Hinterding are also captivated by unseen energies that surround us. They seek to reveal these by combining elements from science, the occult and philosophy.
The presence and power of unseen energies within limestone is described through painted veils and layers. This aligns to how limestone forms into sedimentary rock with its distinctive layers that are sculpted over time by water, rain, wind and pressure.
The idea of magnetic fields is symbolised through geometric patterns or networks similar to how the world wide web is depicted. These signify magneto reception which allows an organism to detect magnetic fields in orienting direction, altitude or location. It is thought that magnetite, an iron mineral in birds’ beaks and cryptochrome, a protein found in their eyes, enable birds to see magnetic fields and keep them on course as they travel vast distances across their flyways.
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