Gritta Walker | exhibitor | Outback Colour & Wind

Artist Statement

Gritta Walker lives in Broken Hill. She is one of the 6 artist that is featured in the Outback | Colour & Wind exhibition that is currently hosted at the Lodge Outback Motel.

What motivates Gritta Walker as an artist?

My sculptural works are often created from manufactured and found objects which I refigure by combining them with various materials such as cloth, string, plaster, bitumen or wire. Most of the foundation objects I use are literally picked up off the ground – or retrieved from rubbish piles. Serendipity plays a large part in the collection process -intuition is another strong factor in selection – what to keep, what not to keep. Deciding to collect an object is a considered act and the object’s shape and heft, original purpose and weathering are mentally catalogued. As an image of the object is imprinted on memory, a visual familiarity occurs and is further developed over time to eventually be imagined in a new configuration. Then the making, while often meeting various technical hurdles, becomes a process of assemblage.

Recently, I have been revisiting assemblage materials I have previously worked with and also, exploring new ones. Wood, bitumen, natural and manufactured objects are familiar and have been often applied in construction – so too has metal casts. Previously, I have used bronze and aluminium. When working with these metals, which have high melting point temperatures, a furnace is required and without one readily available, I have turned to exploring the properties of pewter – its low melting point allowing me to work the alloy myself using very simple technology.

These experimental works are the result of early explorations into the properties of pewter. Processes used here are – one sided mould casting (pilot casting); splashing molten alloy onto a hard surface and dripping it into water. From the results of these trials, small works evolved and these are some of them.

Gallery