Edge of the Trees facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edge of the Trees |
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View of artwork when entering the forecourt of Museum of Sydney
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| Artist | Janet Laurence (in collaboration with Fiona Foley) |
| Year | 1995 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | Sydney sandstone, wood, steel, oxides, shells, honey, bones, zinc, glass, sound |
| Location | Museum of Sydney, Sydney, Australia |
| 33°51′49″S 151°12′41″E / 33.86363°S 151.21131°E | |
| Owner | Museum of Sydney |
Edge of the Trees is a special art project made by artists Janet Laurence and Fiona Foley. It's a type of art called site-specific, which means it was created especially for the place where it stands. You can find it at the front of the Museum of Sydney in Sydney, Australia. It has been there since the museum opened in 1995.
The artwork is made up of 29 tall pillars. These pillars are built from different natural materials like wood and sandstone, along with steel. It also includes sounds! This public art piece has won awards because it helps us remember the history and culture of the land it stands on.
Contents
What Does Edge of the Trees Mean?
This artwork wants to help us understand the past. It tells the story of the original people of Australia, the Aboriginal people, and how they met the first European settlers. The name Edge of the Trees comes from a historian named Rhys Maengwyn Jones. He wrote about how the first Europeans saw the land as strange. But for the Aboriginal people, it was their familiar home.
The sculpture shows the meeting between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people at this important spot. This place was where the first contact happened. The artists used different materials, names, and maps to share memories of the site. These memories include the plants that grew there, the history of the Eora people, and the story of the European settlers.
Why is it Site-Specific Art?
Edge of the Trees was designed especially for the Museum of Sydney. The museum wanted artists to create something that would "talk" to the building. Janet Laurence invited Fiona Foley, an Aboriginal artist, to work with her. Fiona Foley brought important cultural knowledge to the project. She helped choose materials that only an Aboriginal artist would know to use.
Materials and Their Stories
Edge of the Trees looks like a "forest" of 29 huge pillars. They are made of wood, steel, and sandstone. You can see them clustered near the museum entrance.
- Wooden Pillars: These pillars remind us of the trees that once grew on this land. They are made from strong trees like Ironbark and Tallow wood found around Sydney.
- Sandstone: This material was used to build many old Sydney buildings. It also represents the ground Sydney is built on.
- Steel: Steel connects the artwork to the modern steel and glass parts of the museum. It also reminds us of how Sydney grew with industries after the Europeans arrived.
Inside the wooden pillars, you can find organic materials like human hair, shells, bones, feathers, ash, and honey. These items are placed in small windows. They help us remember the lives of the people who lived around this area long ago.
What's Written on the Pillars?
The pillars also tell stories through words. Names of plants are carved or burned into the wooden columns. These names are in both Latin and Aboriginal languages. You can also find the names of the First Fleeters, who were the first Europeans to arrive in Sydney in 1788. Place names are also carved onto the sandstone pillars in Latin and Aboriginal languages.
Experience the Artwork Up Close
The 29 pillars represent the 29 Aboriginal clans from the Sydney area. This artwork isn't meant to be seen from far away. Instead, you are invited to walk among the pillars. You can touch them and feel the different textures. You can also run your fingers along the carved names. As you walk, you'll hear sounds of Koori voices. They are reciting the names of places in the Sydney region that are now part of the big city. This helps celebrate the history of these places.
Awards
- 1995: Lloyd Rees Award for Outstanding Urban Design, Australian Institute of Architects.
Gallery
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Close up view of one of the timber pillars with Latin and Aboriginal language engravings
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Side view of the installation work from street level
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Engraving of the names of the First Fleeters that arrived in Sydney in 1788 on metal sheets joint onto timber pillars
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Close up of organic materials such as hair, shell, bone, and feathers embedded in windows of timber pillar
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Side view of installation work with museum entrance at the background
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View of the sky from between the pillars
See also
- Veil of Trees
