Performance and Installation Draw Space 2023

Turbid Sweep was included in a group show , Materiality https://www.danielpressart.com.au/materiality curated by Dr Daniel Press at Drawspace Sydney. In the exhibition Materiality, eight artists collectively challenge and transcend the conventional nature/culture divide, presenting an exploration of the interconnections between humans and their environment. Through a variety of material approaches, the artists touch on ideas of ecofeminism, environmental ethics, transformation, entanglement, and place-making.

Turbid Sweep 2023. Drawings in calcium carbonate and salt.

"Responding to ideas of materiality, Penny Coss presents her performance piece titled Turbid Sweep (2023). In this work she uses calcium carbonate mixed with water to create floor-based motifs inspired by the wave-like structure of stromatolites. These drawings leave behind a delicate powder that is later swept across the floor and collected at the rear of the gallery. Stromatolites, formations in aquatic environments consisting of sediment and microbial mats, serve as a source of inspiration for Coss's exploration of ‘stratigraphic thinking.’ This approach allows her to delve into the interconnectedness between human and other-than-human elements. By examining the assemblages of geological, moral, and political perspectives, ‘stratigraphic thinking’ speaks to the ways human agency is shaped by situated knowledge."

excerpt from Catalogue Essay by Dr Chelsea Lehmann.

Full essay

Turbid Sweep Drawing of Stromatolite diagram in calcium carbonate and water

installation image Materiality, Draw Space , Sydney.

Still from Turbidocene Single channel video 3.44 min                                                         

Stills from performance, Turbid Sweep

Turbid Sweep 2023 is a site-specific intervention commencing with sweeping the drawings of rocks on the floor made from calcium carbonate, and its matter whilst engaging with the audience wayfinding across the floor.  The dust particles of the white chalk will be intertwined with dirt and other debris found, carried, or blown into the space from the nearby busy throughfare and passers-by. This work serves as a thoughtful reflection on human centrism and how we affect our environment. A stratigraphic anthropocentric installation of the sweep's results will be present in the space, rearranged to form intricate layers of debris, video and sculpture which aims to serve as a powerful reminder of our interconnectedness with the environment and our role in shaping the world around us.

Penny Coss 2023.