Del Kathryn Barton
and float
2022
Huon Pine with Cambia Ash and Rock Maple inlay, Abalone Red and White fresh water mother of pearl inlay, blackened steel
155 x 90 x 70 cm
Provenance

Private Collection, Sydney (acquired from the artist)

Exhibited

Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, ‘Del Kathryn Barton, ‘the woman who fell to earth’, May 2022, cat. 7 (illustrated)

With its delicate surface, ‘more the her’ (2022) is a stunning work that showcases Del Kathryn Barton’s idiosynratic exploration of feminine power, the ethereal and her fascination with the natural world and its symbolic resonance. In 2017, as Del Kathryn Barton faced her mother’s terminal illness, she conceptualized a large shell vessel symbolizing a journey through the universe to an afterlife. This vision resulted in the artwork ‘At the Foot of Your Love’, an installation with a large shell and patched textile sail which was prominently featured in her exhibition ‘The Highway is a Disco’ at the National Gallery of Victoria. Later, the artist collaborated again with the specialist firm Élan continuing this important motif, resulting in a collection of three smaller wooden shells: the queen conch, the nautilus shell, and the spider conch. With their exquisite marquetry and tactile surfaces, these sculptures perfectly capture Del Kathryn Barton’s unique practice.