Al Phemister
Gold Coast based sculptor, Sam Gowing is an active art environmentalist. After graduating in fine art in Sydney in the eighties she participated in various group shows, exhibiting painting and sculptural works, and art installations exploring the fragility of self. Her keen interest in the environment, and love of the ocean and native wildlife, has recently turned this focus outwards to the susceptibility of fellow creatures on this planet. Sam believes in the power of art within the environment, that it can be a subconscious influencer of our feelings about place, nature and sustainability. She strives to make environmental issues more accessible, to put them on a human level, literally into our domain, so that we can re-engage with them. Replicating natural forms and creatures, often at a different scale or in an incongruous colour, her message is that nature, whatever we do, will always remain supreme.
Sam’s exploration of the quintessential Aussie blowfly, despite her phobia of maggots, stems from her deep-seated belief in finding goodness in all living creatures. Despite their reputation as annoying pests, the mighty Calliphora and its offspring play crucial roles in pollination, nutrient recycling, and decomposition. Through this artwork, we celebrate the often overlooked contributions of these industrious insects, painting them in vibrant colours upon a pedestal, inviting viewers to reconsider their perception of these artful little buggers.
Can you describe your creative process from concept to completion?
I’m an artist who often thinks of the end result first, then I tackle my process. The process itself is what excites me the most, however, I often do things in multiples, and I find myself refining the process as I go, I very rarely make just single pieces as I love the interaction of multiples, I think it helps with composition insitu. I start with lots of research on my subject, which helps me form my ideas, I then do some quick sketches, from there I will bring into Illustrator and create line drawings, which I then get printed to help make my maquettes, once a maquette is finished and I have my mini 3D version, I will then photograph and overlay image over photos of it’s final destination using Photoshop. Then the best part I start creating the artwork, so I repeat the above process but to scale. One of the ultimate joys is seeing it finished and painted.My head is always thinking of little things, issues that might occur and how I might fix it, I have been known to spend a few hours just walking around Bunnings looking for solutions to problems.
Where do you look for inspiration? What themes do you find most interesting?
My surroundings & my environment – my work always has an environmental awareness focus, mostly to do with creatures and their habitat and the importance of preserving them.
What role does location or environment play in your sculptures?
Location & environment is a major factor for me, I always think about the location and its relationship to my subject matter, which finds me researching specifically for that area. However, I also ensure the work can have another life and fit comfortably in other locations. I love the work to stand out against the natural environment by using bright incongruous colours, that can take on another life once hung in a different more urban environment.
Come and see for yourself at SWELL Sculpture Festival, Pacific Parade, Currumbin 6th – 15th September.