Bass Coast Shire Council
Bass Coast Shire Council
09/11/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/10/2024 21:16
Explore Phillip Island's Volcanic Past at the 'Floor is Lava' Exhibition
Explore Phillip Island's Volcanic Past at the "Floor is Lava" Exhibition
Published:Wednesday 11 September 2024Categories:Blog
Bass Coast Shire Council is proud to present Floor is Lava, a stunning exhibition by artist and geologist Dr. Emma Jackson, now on display at Berninneit Art Gallery in Cowes. Running from 7 September to 20 October 2024, this free exhibition invites you to experience Australia's volcanic history in a way you've never seen before.
Floor is Lava is an exhibition of ten knotted rugs representing Australian islands-including our very own Phillip Island- with a unique volcanic story due to their proximity to existing and prehistoric magmatic arcs.
Dr Emma Jackson says "the intent of this exhibition is to provide temporary relief from 2024, by immersing the visitor in deep geological time. The ten volcanic islands on display offer a colorful and sumptuous retelling of geological history. They have an important job to do; to increase awareness of earth science and in so doing make caring about our continent contagious.
"This is the first time the island rugs have been on tour, so to have one of them (the Phillip Island rug) showing on home ground is very exciting! And there is a home-ground advantage, in that the geological story can start with the exhibition and continue with a wander around the island."
In the Berninneit gallery space, 10 hand-knotted rugs transform the area into a mesmerising journey through time and geology. Artist Emma Jackson uses her exquisite rugs to represent islands with fascinating geological stories from Australia's volcanic past.
About Emma Jackson
Founded in 2020, Emma Jackson is a multimedia art practice that endeavours to offer an insight into meaningful ways to connect to the ground we walk on. The work we do is about belonging; knowing where your feet are. Straddling disciplines of art and geology, we aim bring earth science to a broader audience and to reveal the unique and beguiling earth story embedded in our continent.
As the daughter of a geologist, Emma Jackson spent the first twelve years of her life as an expat in mining communities, in West Africa, the UK, and Western Australia. Her family's location on the globe was based on the age and behaviour of the rock and the resources it contained. Earth Science became a meaningful way of connecting to a strange place and finding 'home'.
Jackson then trained as an architect at the University of Western Australia and did fieldwork over summer with Harry Butler, esteemed Australian naturalist, on the remote Islands off the Northwest of Australia.
Jackson then went on to work for some of Australia's top design architects. She completed a PhD at RMIT in 2019 which proposed more appropriate ways of building on the diverse geology we have in the North of Australia.
In a special highlight, Jackson's rug representing Phillip Island takes centre stage-right here in its geological birthplace.
The Floor is Lava exhibition is FREE and runs from: 7 September - 20 October 2024
Berninneit Art Gallery
- 91-97 Thompson Ave, Cowes
- Monday-Friday 9:30am-5pm
- Weekends 10am-4pm
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Library, Community Centre, Cultural Centre, Meeting Venue, Visitor Information Centre & Art Exhibition Space in Cowes VIC