Sesquipedalian sea squirt
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(Published version)
Date
2021
Authors
Kutschbach, M.
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Creative work
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Abstract
The title of the sculpture, ‘sesquipedalian sea squirt’ is a reference to the order of Ascidians, a sea animal which is abundant in South Australian waters. As sessile filter feeders, which have evolved into a rich variety of species representing many differing colours, forms, patterns and social structures, they can be seen as great indicators of the health of the aquatic environment they inhabit.‘Sesquipedalian’ refers to the use of long winded words, but was chosen perhaps more for its look, phonetic resonance and the shape that one’s mouth has to make in order for it to be spoken.While the work finds its initial metaphor in the Sea Squirt, it goes on to find other associations in nature and the every day in the form of; rock surfaces, fossils, ice-cream, body organs, mould, fungi, furniture and architectural facades. While colour and form play an important role in the work it is the emphasis on the haptic that bring all these associations together into one whole, representative of accumulated sensory experience and memory that the viewer can bring to the work.An ultrasonic sensor is built into the face of the sculpture, triggering a response in the form of a lighting sequence, each time a viewer moves close by. Water leaks out from tiny holes and cracks in its surface, allowing further impressions of it as a lively, animated creature.