Ephemera Townsville

August 2, 2021

Over a ten-day period, The Strand was converted into the seaside sculptural exhibition, Ephemera (meaning things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time). This major event happens every two years and we were lucky to be here to see the showcase of talent by many artists, including students from local schools. This year also happened to be 20 years from when the event first started.

While a lot of people are currently in lockdown due to covid-19, Robert and I are fortunate to be living relatively freely in Townsville (although there’s no doubt that things may change quickly). With that in mind, I took a stroll along The Strand to see the exhibition first hand, and could there be a better backdrop for this event than the Coral Sea and Magnetic Island?

I’ve included the artist’s name, name of the piece and some details about each artwork. I know that enjoyment of art is subjective, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy some of the pieces. I loved a lot of them, but one of my favourites, due to the pun of the name as well, was Pollut-Ants.

Enjoy the photos below and click them to see more detail.

Georgina Humphries

Field of Breeze

Reclaimed tents, gazebos, sail spinnakers and sun shelters, stainless steel fixing, carabiners, upholstery cotton, gaffa tape, recycled fabric webbing and rigging.

Ghost Net Collective

The Coral Sea Scrolls

Ghost net and beach rope. Ghostly silent killer, discarded fishing net, rope and gear, continues to wash and move with the tidal flow, largely going unnoticed in our sea.

Art for Art Sake

Reef in grief

Recycled plastics. Coral reefs are a food source for a myriad of marine species, threatened by rising sea temperatures, micro plastics and waste cast irresponsibly into our oceans. Enter these caves – sit and ponder the messages discovered inside about the challenges facing our reef.

Andrea Collisson

Excess

Marine debris; thongs and other plasticised footwear, fishing line and remnant fishing line.

Robert Guenther

Ragner V Moby

Recycled timber. Based on the ancient Indian parable of the three blind men and the elephant. If we only rely on parts of a picture we may get a different truth than if we take in the whole. Many different techniques and timbers used.

Brian Robinson

KRAR TUD

Plate aluminium 5083 grade, two-pack automotive paint. Krar Tud are Kala Lagaw Ya words from the Western Islands of Torres Strait, which translate as turtle shell fish-hooks.

John Nesirky

Standing Wave 1

Sustainable sourced plywood, recycled foam core, copper sheet and sea glass beads.

Suzannah Babicci

Figtree Fingers

Acrylic/wool yarn, reflective tape, steel wire, electrical tape, EL wire, decorative threads, waxed cotton thread, twine.

Ryan Catholic College

Replicate Simulate Conserve

Galvanized aluminium armature, found and recycled objects.

Ryan Catholic College

Replicate Simulate Conserve

Galvanized aluminium armature, found and recycled objects.

Christopher Trotter, winner of the Acquisitive Prize

Foreigner

The artwork, created using objects found by the artist, is inspired by bio-security threats into Australia including foreign bodies and mutations as well as invasive life forms such as the Asian Tiger Mosquito and Fire ants.

I learnt that ‘kaleidoscope’ is the collective term for a gathering of butterflies. I can now say I’ve seen many kaleidoscopes during our travels!

Various school/homeschool groups

Kaleidoscope

Mat board, acrylic paint, glue and wire.

Kirwan State High School

Morelia – The Story Keeper

Wire, steel, ghost nets, cable ties, found materials. A symbol for environmental sustainability and preservation of culture.

Marcia Bird

Pollut-Ants

Plastic waste, found objects, wire.

Marcia Bird

Pollut-Ants

Plastic waste, found objects, wire.

Townsville Primary School Students

Ephemera Aquarium

Air dry paper clay.

Townsville Primary School Students

Ephemera Aquarium

Air dry paper clay.

Karl Meyer

Soujourn

Stainless steel, brass. The work seeks to explore how vessels are an archetype of human aspiration and imply a desire to journey.

Torin Francis, winner of the award for Artistic Excellence

Way

Uses steel, aluminium, bearings, concrete and electronic components to explore the intersections of meteorology, technology and spatiotemporal experience. The speed and direction of movement within the work was impacted by a change in temperature, wind direction and humidity.

Sandstorm

WONDER Land

Hand sculpted with brickie’s sand and water. While I was there, the artist was working on it. It took him 13 days to create this sculpture.

Sandstorm

WONDER Land

Hand sculpted with brickie’s sand and water. While I was there, the artist was working on it. It took him 13 days to create this sculpture.

Sandstorm

WONDER Land

Hand sculpted with brickie’s sand and water. While I was there, the artist was working on it. It took him 13 days to create this sculpture.

Amanda Parer

Intrude

These giant rabbits invaded the beach! PVC Tarpaulin, consist of air blowers, LED lighting, and production ballast.

Amanda Parer

Intrude

These giant rabbits invaded the beach! PVC Tarpaulin, consist of air blowers, LED lighting, and production ballast.

Erica Gray

Blue Bottles

Wire, ducting, plastic, fabric, solar lights. This artist used to pop blue bottles on the beach in her youth!

Lance Seadon

Wave to me!

Bamboo, metal pegs. This piece was created as a distraction from the current times we live in. The play of light & shadow of the bamboo waveform allows the observer to rest their mind from the worries of life, rising & falling like the ebb & flow of the ocean.

Jane Hawkins, Sally Munns. Rhonda Payne

Brain Fade

PVC Pipe, connectors, storm flex drainage pipe, LED lights, cable pliers.

Carla Gottgens

I wish you were here

Digitally printed self-adhesive vinyl, acrylic sheet, steel.

Cadaghi Pottery Collective

The Great Chip Scrap

White raku, glaze and steel rod. I must say it makes me really annoyed seeing people feed chips to birds.

Bernadette Boscacci

the 3rd wave

Recycled tin, plywood, fiberglass, lighting. This work is inspired by the shallow waters of Cleveland Bay, where the waves meet the land on the Strand. Sometimes, after the rain and when the south-easterly winds blow, the water is choppy and silty brown. The waves undulate in, fold and break, reflecting the sun, city lights and the moon.

Tree and Leaf

Scarewood

Mixed media. “Foolish humans, you have raised the ire of Scarewood with your incessant noise along my peaceful beach promenade. Awoken from my slumber with the axing of fellow figs and the rustling of your seedlings. What are these scratchings on me? Why must you carve me? That was my best branch! Who is MORRIS 2001? What is this LG that you speak of? Enough! Over the next ten days, heed my warnings.”