Yours was an offering, a gesture, an invitation to a thing that can be shared. A conscious act of moving beyond the limits of mine, and into the expanse of ours. 

The ‘Yours’ project was a part of my ongoing research into how the creative process can benefit communities. By exploring and expanding traditional engagement methods such as collaboration and public programming, this project made community engagement a critical part of my job as an artist.

Over the course of 12 months I met regularly with local, Goulburn-based seniors and pre-schoolers, toddlers and their parents. The project engaged this intergenerational group of people to consider their timelines in relationship to the trees they love.

The resulting artwork, created in collaboration with this community, looked to the metaphor of a tree to explore a collective human story of time. Through the use of eucalyptus dyes, and collected materials, the resulting artwork linked Body with Tree, observing the rich connection we have to each other and the world around us.

It is my hope that the project prompts a consideration of our connection to eachother, of First Nations perspectives, and of our profound responsibility to protect our environment.

This project involved extensive consultation with the Pejar Local Aboriginal Land Council and, later, Mulwaree Aboriginal Community, about the significance of the Goulburn area to first-nations people, and the ethics surrounding sourcing natural resources for artmaking. As a result of these conversations I commissioned local Wiradjuri artist, Aryssa McAlister to create an artwork that expresses how the Goulburn region is a place of significance for First Nations people. Aryssa created a number of paintings on paper of various significant locations around Goulburn and surrounds. These paintings were installed as a 'cultural map'  and were used as a starting point for gallery visitors to contribute their own drawings and ideas of home.

With thanks to project participants: Amy, Ali, Maree, Bushy, Catherine, Gordon, Fiona, Jazelle, Lilith, Manny, Oscar, Sally, Hinia, and Tommy