The Walls Once Built by Holly O'Meehan

Overview

In an attempt to reclaim the landscape, this speculative future sees native Australian parasitic flora species collectively evolve in order to overcome their biggest competitor; humans. An adaptation into the materials that make up the constructed world, ironically made from the natural landscape that foundations are laid on. From the clay used to make bricks, the sand mixed with concrete, the ore converted into steel. This installation is commenting on the aggressive nature the Australian construction and mining industries find themselves in.

Developed from O’Meehan’s research into native parasitic plants such as the Moojar/WA Christmas tree, the sprawling growth of drawings and ceramic objects slowly fill the cracks of the gallery space theorises the possible next steps in the natural environments’ evolution. A future where the environment no longer struggles under the weight of human interference and harnesses the built infrastructure as its host, growing new foliage in clay and cement that it leaches from the foundations of the walls.