Chris de Rosa & Lesa Farrant

Artist friends Chris de Rosa and Lesa Farrant, both of whom live on and are influenced by the coast, have created individual and collaborative works. Shoreline walks have provided inspiration and, in some cases, the actual materials for the work in the exhibition. The artists have a shared concern and interest in the combination of marine organisms and shoreline detritus: a reflection of the effects of human activity on the natural marine environment. Both have also been inspired by the work of two 19th century female naturalists working in South Australia, one collecting marine algae specimens in the Encounter Bay area, the other illustrating a book on the wildflowers of South Australia.

While de Rosa’s work is primarily print based, her approach combines traditional and non-traditional techniques and materials. For Ebb, she has created both 2D and 3D works which reflect her continuing fascination with marine plants and algae.

Farrant has produced porcelain assemblages depicting local and introduced species that grow on the fragile sand dunes and coastal strips near her home. She combines these with porcelain casts of natural and foreign objects found on the seashore, created from plaster moulds of sea shells, sticks, plastic bottles and straws.