Land Art on the Skillion, Terrigal, Australia

Land Art 2012

Each year of the 5 Lands Walk, a massive, ephemeral artwork has been created on the Skillion at Terrigal.

Local Aboriginal artist Gavi Duncan has been involved with these artworks from inception.  But in the past three years, he has created them as collaborative work with artists from other ethnic cultures; Chinese in 2008, Filipino in 2009 and Anglo-Australian in 2010.

Land Art 2011

  Land Art 2011

The 2011 Land Art continued this tradition, and was a collaboration between Gavi (Aboriginal) and Greek artist Christina Micos.  

Darkinjung local Aboriginal artist Gavi Duncan and local Greek artist Christina Micos were astounded to discover when collaborating for the annual Land Art for the 5 Lands Walk that words for certain concepts and objects were identical in the Greek and local Aboriginal tongues.

Christina and Gavi said of their collaboration:  “We as artists discovered that both the Greek and Aboriginal people had similar vessels for carrying food, water and other goods for many thousands of years. The Greeks call their vessel an Amphora and the Aboriginal people call their vessel a Coolamon. As we continued to talk about the Coolamon and the Amphora more similarities between our cultures came up regarding the word water which in Greek is nero and kooli in Aboriginal.“

Gavi Duncan

“Comparing stories from the Aboriginal Dreaming and Greek Mythology we were excited to find that we both shared the same name for Mother Earth, which in the Aboriginal tongue is yhi and as shown in our sketch above in Greek. The Land Art at the bottom right corner will be framed by a Greek Meandros (called the 'Greek fret' or the 'Greek key'). It symbolises unity, infinity and continuity. The water symbol inside the Coolamon symbolises purity and cleansing.”

Land Art 2010

Land Art 2010

The 2010 artwork was a collaboration between two local artists Gavi Duncan, an Aboriginal artist, in collaboration with Pretty Beach artist Catherine Stanley a non Indigenous artist. They created a fusion of Aboriginal and European cultures that reflected the ongoing message and communal collaboration in expressing a universal theme.  It was dedicated at dawn on 25 June, with an Awakening Ceremony . Catherine has specialised in textile-based art, both weaving and using textiles to create her sprititually-based art works.

Kevin said:  “My work of the central traditional Aboriginal circle in the centre of the design represents community coming together celebrating together in ceremony. The blue and white inner design is the Ocean our Nura, our place in where we live. The human figures represent the spirit of the people and family kinship.”

Catherine said:  “My interest in Masaru Emotos underlying research in the nature of water has influenced my design to create incredible crystalline formations.  Our bodies consist of a high percentage of water as do all living things and the vibration that ultimately effects how we interact with the world around us.  The six pointers of the crystal relate to the six directions; earth, air, water, mother earth, fire and father sky. The five circles in yellow are the five lands relate to the spirit of the people. The water within us vibrates, so if we interact from a gentle heart space in celebrating our stories as people these become connections of joyful love and gratitude. Work on the land art was completed over the weekend of 19 and 20 June.

Click here to see a video of the artists discussing the meaning of the 2010 land art, and on its construction.

Further Information: www.5landswalk.com.au.

Central Coast Tourism  02 4343 4410 ldyer@centralcoasttourism.com.au