Second Nature, Jade Oakley, image courtesy of the artist
Victoria - You were recently commissioned by T Projects to create a major public artwork for Melton Council. Can you tell us about your approach to creating the artwork and the outcomes?
Jade - The curatorial theme for the artwork was ‘growth.’ In my art practice I find inspiration from nature, so I asked myself ‘how does nature grow?’ Nature grows in branching, unfurling patterns, like roots underground or the veins in a leaf. I realised that the streets of Melton have grown across the rural landscape in the branching patterns of nature, like a ‘second nature’. To translate this concept into sculptural form I designed two large leaves that formed a canopy over a scattering of boulders. The veins in the sculptural leaves are inspired by a map of the local area. I also thought about the artwork site, and how the local community use the park. The sculpture is next to the playground, and invites play, while offering a place for people to sit and gather, sheltered by the sculptural canopy. The etchings along the pathway are a response to the way people pass through the parkland, offering a narrative connection to the sculpture as people travel through the landscape.
Victoria - This commission required a great deal of community consultation; can you talk us through that aspect of the project?
Jade - Community consultation is a great way for an artwork to become an integrated part of the local community. By engaging members of the community in drawing workshops, local residents gained a sense of being part of the artwork, and an understanding of the meaning of the work that they can share with family and friends. I worked with a large cross section of the community, including retirees from Caesia Gardens and very young children. During the art workshops the community created drawings inspired by leaf veins and maps of the surrounding streets. I combined these drawings to develop the community’s artworks into a screen for the smaller sculptural ‘leaf’ and etched drawings on the pathways in the park.
Victoria - Was it a particularly complex project to deliver?
Jade - ‘Second Nature’ involved a number of different components which contributed to the complexity of delivery. Countless hours were spent making sure that every hole in the screens did not present entrapment issues, whilst retaining enough metal to keep the engineers happy and simultaneously not losing the essence of the original drawings. A gifted industrial designer, Dom Van der Merwe, translated my cardboard model into detailed shop drawings for fabrication. Skilled metalworkers at Comcut fitted and welded the pieces of the sculpture together, using cranes to hold the artwork as it is so heavy. I had two trips to Melbourne specifically to choose the rocks surrounding the sculpture. Etchings of community artwork on pavement were installed into sections of concrete that were inserted into wedges cut from the pebblecrete pathways. Yes, it was a bit complex!
Victoria - You are a very experienced public artist, what are your personal career highlights to date and why?
Jade - My career is so deeply rewarding. I have loved working with brilliant fabricators and designers, and I enjoy the constant learning and evolving as I develop my art practice. However perhaps the most important part of my art practice has been collaborating with Aboriginal artists such as Jessica Birk, Auntie Diane McNaboe, Frances Belle-Parker, Saretta Fielding and Bradley Mapiva Brown. This is part of something bigger than the artworks themselves; it is a small part in a significant moment in history where Aboriginal people are being recognised, respected and celebrated in Australian art and architecture. It is a tidal change, and I’m lucky to be part of it in my own way.
Victoria - Public art commissions are experienced by many people who may never go to a contemporary art gallery, how do you feel about your work being viewed by such vast and diverse audiences?
Jade - I believe that art should burst out from gallery walls and be part of the world we live in. One of the joys of public artwork is that it offers a way for people to interact with artwork in interesting ways. “Second Nature” is part of the playground, a gathering place for the community and an embellishment to the meandering pathway that runs the length of the park. In the public realm art is not just viewed, but experienced. This excites me.
Victoria - We have recently devised a public art mentoring program for artists wanting to work in the public realm, what do you know now that you wished you’d known when you started out?
Jade - Rejection is part of the process of Public Artwork. I would tell my younger self to develop a thick skin, because every tender process is an opportunity to practice and improve the skill of responding creatively to a unique site, with its own history, community and connection to the surrounding built and natural environment. This is part of the practice of Public Artwork, each tender is an opportunity to learn and think creatively. Rejection is tough, but the thought processes that are behind every concept are never for nothing, they are the conceptual building blocks that will help to inform future projects.
Victoria - What advice would you have for emerging artists or art students hoping to work in the public realm?
Jade - Young artist, work with an art consultant. Throughout my public practice I have worked closely with Art Consultants – this has enabled me to make the step from making intimate artworks in my studio to large scale artworks in the public realm. Art Consultants are an integral part of the commissioning and delivery of public art as they support the artist through curatorial advice, project management and liaising with the many people involved in each project. Art Consultants are essential.
To learn more about Jade Oakley you can visit the artist's website
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