Bird Boat & Egg Raft
In his introduction to 3 installations : Noelene Lucas, Ross Mellick, Robert Owen : 27 April – 10 June 1991 at the Art Gallery of NSW, curator Anthony Bond writes:
“Mellick’s vessels suggest two complementary metaphysical journeys. The egg-raft is carried passively with its hidden cargo incubating within the egg form, an ancient symbol of the cosmos, while the bird-boat is carried along by the nature of its invisible cargo upon a trajectory sensed and directed by an inward reaching antenna.”
Inception
Genesis
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Mauris semper mus euismod eu sagittis eu varius vitae donec. Ullamcorper a egestas dictum id scelerisque id aliquam cursus.
Construction
In the Studio
Bird Boat Egg Raft-2-Bird Boat showing cavity
Egg Raft construction
Bird Boat in the studio squared
Bird Boat detail bound ends 1280
Bird Boat Bow Sprit 1280
Egg Raft detail 1280
Exhibition
Planning
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Mauris semper mus euismod eu sagittis.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Quis consequat a faucibus mus. Aenean cum aliquet ac massa vulputate. Tempor pharetra nibh facilisi diam. Eget nisl egestas purus quam egestas sem velit a amet. Et augue aenean sit venenatis massa. Purus vivamus sem varius amet pretium dolor. Faucibus iaculis vestibulum mi lacus.
Exhibition
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Quis consequat a faucibus mus. Aenean cum aliquet ac massa vulputate. Tempor pharetra nibh facilisi diam. Eget nisl egestas purus quam egestas sem velit a amet. Et augue aenean sit venenatis massa. Purus vivamus sem varius amet pretium dolor. Faucibus iaculis vestibulum mi lacus.
Reception
This letter was written by a visitor to the gallery. Only one page survived and the author is a “mystery”. Contact was attempted some years after the only remaining page was found in the artist’s studio.
Dear Ross,
Feels weird to nestle down in such a soft cavity behind the retracted foreskin. Not comfortable this hemaphrodite – wincing, shrinking. But from outside – so lovely! The shape perfect! Angels reading down, up, just right! And I am no longer troubled by the lopsided raft. It is as it must be… The egg may need to be set down after its passage. The primordial destiny of being female is to affect this anchoring, heedless of its lopsiding burden. But the hair oh the hair sends a current into the oesophagus above the achalasia below the dysphagia. Primeval primordial ambivalence – such revulsion in its attraction! – Manly Vale 2093