The effects of climate change endanger the natural environment and our way of life. Moments like this extraordinary day of crystal-blue swimming at Newcastle Beach feel fleeting. My family spend much of the warmer months in saltwater; we regularly immerse ourselves in the sea and marvel at its beauty. Increasingly, my gratitude for a joyful experience of the coastline is tempered by a sense of urgency to make the most of the moment. I feel sadness around inevitable future change.
I wanted to create a work that expresses these mixed feelings, that acknowledges the joy of swimming in our beautiful ocean within the context of rapid change and loss. That tells the story of a tipping point in time, that shares it in way that reflects its status as a future ‘antique’ moment – something gone but remembered. A contemporary artwork in a vintage context. A New(y) vintage.