Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler 'Deep Time'

Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler
deep time
18 May - 22 June 2024

Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler’s work explores points where climate patterns and systems of the natural world impact on human life. Traversing past, present, and future environmental influences, they describe their work as “enchanted by the unfathomable expanse of deep time, and our limited grasp of temporal and spatial dimensions”. Combining their backgrounds in environmental science (Lawler) and floristy (Bae), their sculptural works reflect on the disproportionate impact of humans on the ecosystem.

In ‘Deep Time’ the pair have created a new series of sculptures based on 3D scans that trace the undulating marks of erosion along the Australian coast. Drawn to the figurative forms forged in coastal sedimentary sandstone, the structures tell the story of water and wind, shaped by millennia of gradual erosion and movement, epitomising the unending cycle of nature.

The forms are sculpted in timber using 3D laser cutting, the technical precision of the machines used are able to mimic but not accurately translate the intricate textures and detail of the original forms. These losses of information speak to the limitations of our understanding of the systems that form and cover the natural world. The timber is then sealed by a process of charring, a traditional method of preservation. This method also extends the pair's research into charcoal, exploring its healing qualities as well as its association with disaster and renewal in ecosystems.

The result is a scaled landscape of coastal islands and promontories enveloped by the embrace of twilight which they describe as “an intermediary realm where nature's voice resonates most profoundly, both in its sonorous cadence and ethereal beauty”. The sculpted forms adopt a Rorschach-like motif, contemplating the possibility of an alternative reality—one where harmonious coexistence with the environment becomes not just an ideal, but a tangible possibility.

In Deep Time Bae and Lawler explore their joint experience of time, place and cultural relationships with the environment. Bae draws on her Korean family’s traditional belief in spirits that inhabit natural objects such as mountains, rivers, trees, and rocks, as well as ancestral spirits and spirits of the deceased. There is a strong emphasis on maintaining harmony with nature and the spirit world, as well as respecting the wisdom and guidance of ancestors. Meanwhile, Lawler approaches their practice through a scientific data-driven lens, employing data visualisations and technology to understand the human-nature relationship. This approach focuses on the finding correlations between different natural phenomena and how this information might inform their experimentation and artistic expression.

Presented as part of Melbourne Design Week 2024