CONFLUENCE, an exhibition featuring artwork influenced by Geoscience Australia’s National Mineral and Fossil Collection and the Namadgi National Park, received a warm reception at its opening this week.
Showcasing the work of Valerie Kirk and Harriet Schwarzrock, CONFLUENCE is the culmination of Craft ACT’s 2021 Artist-in-Residence program, which Geoscience Australia was thrilled to participate in alongside the ACT Parks and Conservation Service.
Geoscience Australia’s curator Steven Petkovski said it was an absolute privilege to host and collaborate with these two very talented artists and watch them be inspired by Earth Science and the National Mineral and Fossil Collection – which hosts over 60,000 specimens dating back over the past 100 years.
“At Geoscience Australia we strive to make Earth Science available to all Australians and programs like this Artist-in-Residence enable our collection and research to be seen and experienced in a whole new way,” Mr Petkovski said.
“It was a joy to show Valerie and Harriet our collection and experience their excitement and curiosity as they immersed themselves in our world of fossils, minerals, gemstones, meteorites, rock samples and historical items.
“I was blown away by the pieces presented in this exhibition and it was so wonderful to see how our collection items and time with the artists had impacted and inspired their work. From Valerie’s interest in our palaeobotanical fossils to Harriet’s fascination with our fluorescent minerals.
“The future and value of geoscience can only be realised if Australians know about and engage with the work that we do, and the artwork produced by Valerie and Harriet through this program transforms geoscience and natural history specimens into accessible, tangible, and thought-provoking objects.”
