Garden Shed
Garden tools, gloves on a shelf, seeds, fertilizer, pots and sprays…these are some of the treasures of a garden shed, with its promise of contentment, creativity, beauty and communion with nature.
In contrast, this garden shed contains a video presenting a 21st century interpretation of gardens seen through the lens of 3D scanning. Situated in a corner of the video is a small swaying figure wearing a Tree Hat, suggesting a quiet reverence and longing for the natural world. Intended to be poetic, romantic, slightly absurd and vaguely shamanistic, the figure emerges periodically throughout the video.
The video focuses on gardens in Waiheke including the Sacred Blessing Sanctuary Garden, the Mudbrick Vineyard garden, the private garden of Graham and Jackie Guthrie and a commercial flower garden, Nourish Gardens, run by Christy Ralphs. The gardens are presented as actual footage along with virtual animations created through the filter of 3d scanning and rendering. Drones and land based high resolution video have also been used to create the work.
The soundtrack mix includes the music “Like the Bitter Rind of a Cucumber” played and composed by the Dunedin musician Alastair Galbraith.
Garden Shed alludes to the increasing presence of virtual experiences in contemporary life and raises questions around perception, authenticity and our on-going and changing relationship with nature.
Brit Bunkley
Andrea Gardner