Stockpile

Colourful artwork, cardboard and paint in geometric triangle shapes.
Image: Starburst by Shaunagh Ashby

Artists

Amber Johnson and Shaunagh Ashby

Artist/s statement

Stockpile is an exhibition of works by Amber Johnston & Shaunagh Ashby exploring the materiality and form of byproducts of consumerism and excess. In transforming salvaged packaging and cardboard into artworks, the exhibition aims to explore both the inherent beauty in the form of discardable objects and comment on the environmental impact of residual waste.

Shaunagh's interest lies in the moment at which things change: the point of structural failure, things on the cusp, the brilliance before collapse and the regeneration that occurs as a consequence. This phenomena is articulated in perpetual reforming of fractal geometries. Her sculptural works are constructed from cardboard and honeycomb board and painted in acrylic and encaustic. In transforming everyday materials she comments on the ultimate ephemerality and transience of all things, echoing the current environmental and political climate.

Amber's work is process-based, addressing materiality and spirituality in contemporary art. The physical act of making work is of equal importance to the final product, itself indicative of a meditative moment in time. Created through repetitious actions Amber’s work evokes a sense of calm and offers a counterbalance to the superficiality and detachment we experience living in a frenetic modern world. Her abstract sculptures, constructed primarily from leftover paper shopping bags, encourage viewers to look beyond the material world to a place of contemplation, and awareness of our place in the bigger picture of life.

Opening: Friday 7th February, 5:30pm
Exhibition runs: 7 - 23 February 2025
Accessibility information: The gallery has an accessible bathroom. There is a set of stairs inside the building and a lift for wheelchair access.
Instagram: @sashby_art // @amberjart
Website: www.shaunaghashby.com.au // www.amberjart.com.au