DRY!
This body of work reflects Mason’s investigations into thinking about the plants adapted to survive in dry climates and the importance of water in the garden. The showy flowers of some of hardy Australian dry climate plants, alongside watery motifs and having fun with words that characterise the adaptations leaves have evolved to help plants maximise their chances of survival in arid climates, are given life in these jewels.
Her fountains and pools series taps into the poetic approach to water seen in Islamic gardening traditions. This series comes out of her residency in Barcelona and spending time researching how the Spaniards poetic approach to water (inherited from the Arab desert dwellers who occupied the land centuries ago) give evidence to the crucial role water plays in arid climate countries. She suggests much can be learnt from Spain with respect to how we garden and approach the use of water in the garden.
Australia is one of the driest countries in the world and a country where temperatures are on the rise and as we enter an age of reduced precipitation, adapting and learning how to garden with less water demands a cultural shift in our thinking. Australia is a country where water is a precious resource that needs to be conserved. Adapting to our environment means planting gardens that are in harmony with it.
This exhibition was first shown in Sydney at Studio 20/17 in August – September 2016 then toured to Melbourne where it was shown at eg etal in February 2017.
