Too Late To Leave 

Iron and Rubber

280 x 240 x 220 cm

2020

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This work is made of corrugated roofing and shedding iron that was burnt on January 1st 2020 in the towns of Nerrigundah and Cadgee on the Far South Coast of NSW, Australia.

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The heat from the fire was great enough to warp and fold the metal like drapery.

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The work's title comes from the NSW Rural Fire Service;s advice and warning system. 'Too late to leave' means that trying to escape is more dangerous than staying in place. You can't evacuate and have no choice but to stay put until the fire has passed.

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I wanted to interrogate the emotional charge that these fires provoked. Human emotion can be very powerful when it is channeled, especially when co-opted for specific ideological or political purposes.

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This work is asking the audience to sit within their emotions, without trying to direct these away from the material remnants of the disaster.

 

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