Strand Ephemera

Sometimes preconceptions about a place can be so misleading as to make you feel foolish. I must admit that has been my reaction since exploring parts of Northern Queensland. Far from the cartoonish caricatures presented by shows like 60 Minutes, the people have a diverse arts and foodie community. Townsville has been one of the best kept secrets Australia has to offer. Apart from the occasional level 5 cyclone (Yasi) it has an amazing climate (except the wet season Dec-Feb) and views across the Coral Sea to Magnetic and Palm Island. 

Just as Sydney has it's annual Sculpture by the Sea Festival, Townsville has an event called "Ephemera".  Installations are dotted along a lengthy coastal promenade with the Girringun Artists providing the most visually arresting grouping of the event. Made by a collective of artists " Bagu Jiman " comprises ceramic forms decorated with weaving materials and metal. The Girringun community has a long history of weaving as part of their artistic tradition

Their work is shown and collected at galleries around Australia and to me incorporates the best of Indigenous figurative works with a nod to contemporary materials and colours. 

Photos: David Plummer