CHAD PEACOCK
TWO WATERS
At the western-most point of Western Australia lies a series of islands and peninsulas hosting a diverse array of marine life and ancient landscapes. A land where the desert meets the sea, where the Malgana, Nhanda, and Yingkarta people have lived for tens of thousands of years. Known widely as ‘Shark Bay’, the Malgana name for this place is Gutharraguda, meaning ‘two bays’ or ‘two waters’.
It’s a rugged and seemingly inhospitable land visited over several hundred years by Dutch and French explorers who deemed the place unworthy for habitation and trade. A place that became a part of Australian wartime history with the loss of over 700 souls in the tragedy of the HMAS Sydney and Cormorant battle of 1941.
UNESCO heritage listed for hosting the ancient stromatolites, Wooramel Seagrass Bank, and an abundance of Marine life, it’s a place that has maintained its rugged beauty and environmental diversity through the passage of time.
Two Waters will be an observational body of work seeking to capture the essence of this remote region by Perth based artist Chad Peacock, who’s work has recently exhibited at the The Art Gallery of WA (Ngundamurri & I love you baby, you are my first born) and the Holmes à Court Gallery (Portent). The project will celebrate the wide vistas and macro detail of this stunning landscape, set to a soundscape interweaving natural sounds with local voices in an immersive experience of sight, sound and story. The project will investigate the impact on the natural environment since European settlement and what role the remote location has had in helping preserve Gutharraguda over the years.
Pending availability research will be conducted in conjunction with The Shire of Shark Bay, the Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre, The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), Parks and Wildlife Service Gascoyne District, Yadgalah Aboriginal Corporation and the Malgana native title group, along with other local groups and community leaders.
Outcomes will include:
Community engagement workshop (i.e. capturing local oral histories that could help inform the project and become a part of the audio soundscape).
Indigenous consultation and learning. With a view to incorporate a dedicated film outcome celebrating the first nations people’s of the region.
Aerial and ground abstract stills photography capture for large scale fine art prints and exhibition.
Aerial and ground based digital video capture for digital projection components of project.
Audio ambience capture of key locations to be utilised in soundscape.
Deliverables will include
Series of fine art photographic prints
Single-channel digital video, incorporating soundscape and local voices approx 5-10 minutes (looped)
Single-channel digital video, indigenous focus approx 5-10 minutes (looped)
A series of long play landscape visuals highlighting the stunning diversity of nature in the region (15-30 minutes each)
EXAMPLES OF PREVIOUS WORK
Photo and digital long form project example
Indigenous film sample
Indigenous story sample
Voices of community sample
Landscape video visual sample
Long play video sample
Abstract landscape photo samples