Luke Chiswell

About the work

This year, Luke Chiswell presents artwork across two festival sites; the National Arboretum Canberra, and as part of Pop songs in the desert at The Mixing Room Gallery.

 

Self-Sabotage

“Self-Sabotage” by Luke Chiswell delves into humanity’s interconnectedness with the environment by utilising the very tool that determines the fate of the material it once was. This sand-casted bronze sculpture features an axe head at the top, with the handle transforming into organic branches. The preserved wood grain emphasises the transition from life to death. Chiswell’s work highlights the mutual destruction impact of human actions on nature, considering our environmental impact and engaging with contemporary concerns of ecology and our relationship to nature.

 

Found in the Forrest

“Found in the Forrest” a new work by Luke Chiswell, is an 8-foot sculpture that explores perceived value through materiality. The piece transforms connected materials such as gum trees and paper all originally wood to aluminium through sand-casting, maintaining their appearance but altering their substance. This transformation highlights reimagining familiar materials in a new context. The title of the work is present on the base of the trunk, but the order of the text is illegible, emphasising the theme of being “there but not there.” The sculpture looks natural but is not nature itself, prompting reflections on taking nature for granted and reconsidering its value. Installed in the Canberra Arboretum forest, the sculpture interacts with its environment, blending in while emphasising the contrast between natural and artificial elements. “Found in the Forrest” encourages a reconsideration of how we perceive and value nature.

Image credits to the artist