Building Bridges

<p dir="ltr">Building Bridges (2018) explores the metaphor of 'building bridges' as a framework for understanding and celebrating difference within contemporary social contexts. Selected to exhibit at Wreckers Artspace, Brisbane through a competitive application and selection process, the installation comprises three components: a large-scale landscape image showing two mountains with a large void between them, printed onto adhesive vinyl and applied directly to the wall; neon text reading 'ONE STEP AT A TIME'; and a sculptural work displaying 'A-------------B'. The installation employs the bridge as both literal architectural structure and metaphorical device, examining how physical spans across geographical divides mirror social efforts to connect across cultural, ideological, or experiential differences. The landscape image of two mountains separated by a void provides literal visualisation of the gap that requires bridging, while the sculptural element 'A-------------B' abstracts this concept into typographic form. The neon text 'ONE STEP AT A TIME' suggests the incremental nature of building meaningful relationships across difference. The mountain landscape applied directly to the wall creates environmental intervention that transforms the gallery architecture into a site of geographical contemplation. The large void between the mountains emphasises the scale of separation that bridges must traverse, highlighting both the challenge and necessity of connection across seemingly insurmountable differences. Courtney Coombs' approach moves beyond simple reconciliation narratives to examine the complex labour involved in creating meaningful connection across difference. The mountain imagery provides natural metaphor for the obstacles that separate communities, while the void suggests both physical and social distances that require deliberate construction to traverse. The 'ONE STEP AT A TIME' text emphasises process over outcome, acknowledging that bridge-building occurs through accumulated incremental actions. The three-component structure allows exploration of how bridge metaphors function across scales—from geographical (mountain landscape) through conceptual (A-B gap) to methodological (step-by-step process). The work examines both possibilities and limitations of bridge-building as strategy for social change, questioning when connection is productive and when gaps might serve important purposes. Building Bridges reflects Coombs' broader investigation into landscape as metaphor for social relationships, demonstrating how natural formations can illuminate political dynamics while maintaining critical perspective on the metaphors employed for understanding difference and connection.</p><p><br></p>