Habitat

Three separate painted plywood panels. All three show birds in the wetland. Left panel shows a large pelican standing in shallow water. On the left is a smaller white bird (possibly a spoonbill) in the centre slightly behind the pelican. The background shows brwon wetland samphire flats. The central image is of a white egret hunting through the vegetation. The right hand image is of an Ibis in blue/green water. Artist Statement: "The Vasse-Wonnerup Wetlands comprise around 2,500 hectares of estuarine marshland, tidal floodplain, saline samphire marshes and stands of remnant estuarine forest. They also provide habitat for over 30,000 water birds. In 1990 the Western Australian Government nominated the Vasse- Wonnerup wetlands for inclusion in the 'Ramsar Convention'; an international governmental treaty aimed at the conservation of wetlands of international significance and the wise use of wetlands generally. Consequently approximately 1,115 hectares of the wetlands are listed on the basis of their international importance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology and hydrology. A final report made in 2005 in conjunction with the W.A. Planning Commission, CALM, Department of Environment, Department of Agriculture, Water Corporation, Shire of Busselton and Geo Catch identifies the complex management strategies required to conserve this precious wetland. " Judges Comments: "The three panels of this artwork are at once complex and subtle in style, technique and aesthetic. The artist has executed this work with great thought, imagination, sensitivity and respect for both her materials and subject matter. The birds, revealed in various but complementary arrangements across the triptych, are painted in delicate balance with their wetland environment. They are evocative in their beautifully articulated line and form, yet the artist's use of layered, transitory paint effects imbue the scene with an ominous sense of danger that recalls the precarious state of habitats across our planet." Catherin Czervw

Frame size: no frame