Symbiosis (2004) - Matthew Harding (Late)

Acquired by: Sponsorship of the Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award

About the Artwork:

“This work continues my investigations into the geometrics and structure of natural forms and acts, reminding me of the child like fascination that must have inspired great mathematicians, engineers and philosophers.  Euclid’s elements of geometry, Archimedes spiral, Fibonacci’s sequence and Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes and testament of the spirit to understand and consciously belong to this world.

A symbiotic relationship exists between the fragile form of a dandelion and the ecology of our planet.  Plants through photosynthesis convert solar energy into the basic foodstuff that the whole life cycle of earth ultimately depends upon.  Our understanding of our position on the food chain is crucial to our survival as a species.  We are not immune to extinction.

There is a spatial relationship between the three seed forms which allude to their transient nature within the landscape, emphasised through their varying states of dispersion.  Airborne, these seeds carry the latent potential for new life or may also act as an affirmation of hope for our future by attaching credence to the childhood game of blowing wishes.” – the late Matthew Harding

For more information about the artist visit matthewharding.com.au