WANDA GILLESPIE

Calculating the Infinite, 2018
totara, oak, brass,
steel footings, jarrah plinth
1610mm x 950mm x 150mm

Nest I, II, III, 2020
willow, wire, coconut husk, steel cable,
solar powered lights, fairy lights
700mm x 700mm x 400mm

”The repurposing of everyday objects with esoteric functions is a common theme in my work, unifying the physical and spiritual worlds. Lawnmowers become hypnosis inducing musical instruments, scissor lifts become ornate bird like objects used in religious ceremony, and my abacus become Higher Consciousness Integrating Calculators. This re labelling of objects is fuelled by a fascination with the rise and fall of advanced ancient civilisations and the possibility of museums mis interpreting an objects function. Within this thinking, I consider the artists position as artefact producers and cultural makers of our time.

In recent works from 2018, I’ve re designed the abacus (Higher Consciousness Integrating Calculators) using the Golden ratio in my dimensions; contemplating natures perfection in mathematics and sacred geometry. Curved geometric shapes created from brass rods are framed by Walnut and include found nuts such as Sheoak, Gumnut, or cast Kauri nuts.The line work in the abacus rods were originally inspired by the abstraction of the New Zealand landscape in Colin McCahon’s paintings, (in particular Waterfall, A Hillside, Headland).

Through Calculating the Infinite, we contemplate the absurdity of humanity’s obsession with numbers, attempting to count that which can’t be counted becomes a poetic gesture” - Wanda Gillespie