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2021, Broken Benefits, Acrylic on composite HardieFence, 80cm x 45cm.

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Every so often there comes a time, that in order to save ourselves, we must fall apart and break.

A storm hit, causing the fence to collapse.
Seeing something respond to intense pressure, reminded me that although we all have purpose, just like the fence did, we all have our limits.

Baring witness to the fence's 'circuit breaker', confronted the truth about the impacts our environment can have on our well-being.
This work depicts the simplistic notion of adaptation, and how it can look different to anyone or anything, positive or negative.
On one hand, the fallen fence loses its purpose of dividing land; but on the other hand, gains a new purpose by establishing a new connection between neighbours, producing a feeling of vulnerability.

Inspired by Leonardo Di Vinci's 'Vitruvian Man', the zoomorphic print of the man and elephant portrays reference to "new beginnings" entwined with "bad luck", which reflects the hardships that are handed to us, resulting in changes which are out of our control.

My experience of 'bad luck' has been the ongoing battle of chronic pain and the dismissal I faced from doctors. My body kept breaking, forcing me to work harder for answers, leading me to my 'new beginning', the diagnosis of an incurable disease.

Deriving from the fences original palette, the colours were chosen to create a connection and unity between the two opposite mediums, building on the tactile, organic fluidity of the piece. Through maintaining a harmonious colour scheme, and encasing the figure with the symbolistic, unifying shape of a circle, communicates being at peace, with being a broken piece.

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Servo                                                                            Oil on Linen 107x175 cm

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Roxanne Fozard                                                                                                                                             

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Roxanne Fozard                                                                                                                                             

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In 2015 the WA Premier announced that between 100 and 150 Aboriginal communities would be forced to close because of federal budget cuts. The announcement, which seemed sudden, was later revealed to have been in the works for at least ten years.

Forced Closure of Remote Aboriginal Communities involves:
(a) closing the community, or relocating the members of the
community; or
(b) deterring people from living in the community through a
lack of, or inadequate, municipal and essential services
available to the members of the community

The suggested community closures created tremendous anxiety ––many Aboriginal people raised objections about the lack of concern being demonstrated over Aboriginal peoples’ connection to the land. The complexity of issues that surfaced echo the realities of Western Australia’s colonial past.

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2021, Dead End, Frayed Lines, Give me Lemons and I'll give you Limoncello, 11x14 inches, muslin and acrylic on linen and print on rag paper.                  

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My works encourage a conversation around the persistent resilience of the visual arts.

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This is a painting of my father in his 20s. He has been contrasted to a flower. This shows the different life spent and how living things differ and change with time. I made this art work in a quarantine hotel in New Zealand, which is definitely not a normal situation three years ago. These two points relate to the theme of circuit breaker. Due to times changing and doing different things, making a break in the normal circuit of life.

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2021, Polar Opposites, chalk and oil pastels, markers and acrylic paint on a methods textbook

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Taking a break from something allows you to reset and to come back refreshed with a new perspective. My major and minor subjects are polar opposites, Visual Art and Mathematics. Their differences work well together as they are eachothers circuit breakers. When I become overwhelmed by math I take a break and work on my art, something entirly different, allowing my brain to reset. When I come back to my math I see it with a fresh mind and am able to achieve my best. This also works the other way for art. The point of opposition is emphasised within my work as the textbook is monocromatic, whereas the artworks are full of vibrant colours.

Furthermore, in my life, the beach at sunset has a significance to me as it is where I go to reset. No sunset or sunrise is the same and they are all breathtakingly beautiful. I always leave feeling relaxed and reset. This is why all my drawing are of sunsets, this is as it is my life circuit breaker, taking time out of a chaotic schedule to just sit on the beach and enjoy to view.

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2021, Remnants, Fused Glass, 27 x 61 x 6cm

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Aiming for simplicity in response to life's complexities. My artwork explores the faint linear traces that echo between moments of intensity and rest.

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2021, Confined Space, Gyprock plaster with Acrylic on framed canvas, 90cm x 60cm

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Confined to our own homes for the entirety of Covid-19, my most recent exploration provided insight into what it means to feel restricted in our safe spaces.
Utilizing found art materials such as wall plaster and paint enabled me to create intricate textures that contribute to the movement and structure of my project. The works' simple shapes and understated textures contrast and draws your attention to the textured satin gloss work within. While applying this textured effect to a larger form creates a more intricate symbolism of being trapped or confined, this was a more simple and direct representation. The rough matte borders serve as a reminder that life outside is dangerous and devoid of potential. Additionally, it demonstrates how we can maintain a positive attitude and continue to improve as we connect with one another.
The colours chosen reflect how individuals may be feeling at the time. This overall simplistic artpeice has a significant meaning to me that what were experiencing will only be temporary.

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2021, Point of Isolation, Gouache on Watercolour Paper, 25x37cm

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Point of Isolation is a celebration of the mundane features in our daily routines that are often ignored. I have passed this power pole every day for almost six years, but did not acknowledge its existence until it was wrapped in hi-vis tape and strapped with warning signs. With this piece, I encourage you to take a break in your own daily circuit, and use the time to examine your mundane surroundings to discover your own overlooked objects.

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2021, The Ultimate Circuit and its Breaker, print on calico with cotton and glass bead additions, dimensions 30.4cm - variable.

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Our natural worlds circuitry is like a fine thread that intricately weaves and links millions of systems. It is the ultimate circuit that is continually being broken and damaged through human action and inaction.

Influenced by David Attenborough's documentary-A life on our planet; my work directly links to and expresses my concerns about our natural world and the role we play as humans.

I believe it is not a lost cause though and that there is always  hope!!

The symbiotic relationship of humans and the natural world is symbolized in my work by the contrasts found in a single tree, it is both dying and living in response to human impact.

My art practice due to an extremely busy life has been hard to keep going, this artwork needed to be moveable and able to be worked on in a multitude of places . Choosing a textile work was a perfect solution  and also supported the ideas I wanted to express.

The intricacy of the thread and beads used on the natural fibres of calico in my work, represent the delicate balance I wanted to express . By being presented in the embroidery hoop it gives an unfinished feel to the work and reflects the ongoing conversation between humans and nature. A single green thread on the dying tree symbolizes hope, just as the abandoned axe symbolizes destruction.

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2021, Overload, Shredded document and acrylic on canvas, 40.5 x 61cm   

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As we go about day-to-day requirements of work, study and family commitments we stretch ourselves in too many directions and our systems become overloaded. The shredded paper documents represent these practical requirements which the figures tackle through. A circuit breaker is required to shut down an overloaded system. My approach to taking on an overwhelming number of responsibilities is to wipe back a clean state, break it down, and take things one at a time. As a result, the things that were once too overwhelming seem possible and controllable.

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2021, Yarloop water tanks, raku fired ceramic pieces, dimensions variable.

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The Yarloop fire started on the 4th January 2016, and burned for two weeks. Two Yarloop residents died and over 180 properties were destroyed. The fire burned through circa 70,000 hectares of forest and farmland in nearby Waroona and Harvey. The Raku pieces are interpretations of the burnt and warped rainwater tanks. The extreme heat destroyed the very notion of the safety of water in our lives.

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My artwork shows how the world has been adjusted and its normal “circuit” has been broken by covid 19. I made a long narrow artwork to represent a flow of a circuit. The break is represented by a range of different ideas shown in the art work, and are reflected in the composition of the board itself. Portraying a message of stress and panic, I incorporated six impactful things that altered my life during covid; dealing with being a woman in the 20th century, travel bans, the limitations on alcohol, lockdown and its irony, the stress of the new virus, and the now what.

I made my art in one long narrow panel to show how covid will be never ending. I limited myself to two mediums, to create a impactful message that we are not alone during these odd times and that we all have similar struggles. I used words to collage sentences and create emphasis. I used irregular placed flowers to show how I made my way through these different times. Sometimes there is a nice flow within the flowers representing that I was doing better in sometimes stages then other.

Lauran Child makes art out of colourful patterned papers via collage, and I was inspired by her from a young age as she was the illustrator of books I liked. I took her use of colour, size and collage to develop my ideas in the earlier stage of my inquiry process.

Nancy Spero creates more monochromatic artworks that incorporate blocks of small text and even some drawn figurers. I like the way she uses word within her artworks, the simplicity of some, the repetition of objects and how she includes political statements. She helped me to realise the concepts that I needed to consider like “less is more” - this is how I came to the realisation that the white space within my artwork was necessary to create flow and unity within each section. Her repetition of objects to make a larger impact of her message made me repeat some images and words in my art.

Lauren Whyte uses collage as her primary medium. White represents her thoughts in her artworks on the meaning of reality within the last two years. Like Nancy Spero she has commented on politics and crated art with negative space by she has used appropriate blocks of colour like Lauran Child.

Spero and Whyte comment on controversy political stances within their artworks and show cases their options of this during their lives, which I have done in my artwork.

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2021, Circuit Breaker, acrylic paint and surgical face masks on canvas, 17.5x12.5cm

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My work explores the idea of how we are trying to circuit break the circuit breaker.

Influenced by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and the fact that all of our lives have been impacted, my work visualises humanity's attempt to control and stop the virus outbreak.

Ever since Covid- 19 started, we have all been bombarded with news reports, Facebook live stream notifications, family messages, and government restrictions. As such I feel as though, we are working collectively to circuit break the circuit breaker. Face masks, restrictions, and lockdown were a few things that significantly impacted my lifestyle and mental health this year. This is why I have chosen to sow the face masks onto the canvas as use them as symbols for humanity's attempt to stop the outbreak of Covid- 19 that has become a circuit breaker in all of our lives.

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2021, Circuit Breaking, acrylic paint on canvas, 17.5x12.5cm

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This communicates how humanity is trying to circuit break the circuit breaker we know as Covid- 19.

The minimalistic and textured work is simple in its presentation because the complexity comes from the different political and social ideologies we all have regarding Covid- 19 vaccines, restrictions, government laws and how the pandemic is being handled.

The duality of the white and black canvases symbolise the balance of nature that I believe in, and the Chinese yin and yang philosophy. I believe that the current imbalance between life and death, hope and fear, is another stage of life and will soon pass.

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2020-2021, Happenstance, acrylic and chalk on board with printed card, dimensions variable.

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My work explores the tensions in my arts practice over the past 18 months. At the beginning of 2020 I was just finishing a major collaborative exhibition of my landscape works. Then my arts practice halted. I couldn’t find inspiration within the walls of my home, and there was too many other ‘things’ to prioritise. Now my work is more organic, fitting into the moments and spaces where I can find the time to make. Inspired by repurposing and reusing I chose to use existing tiles to create an organic installation over the past five weeks. It is a process-based work as I adapt my practice and ways of working in the response to the changes in the world.