Nocturne (Entr'acte)

Background This research is informed by literature on painting and sculpture as it pertains to site specific practices. In ‘Fantastical Reality: Louise Bourgeois and the Story of Modern Art’ (2005) Mignon Nixon discusses the term ‘fantastical reality’ proposed by Bourgeois to evoke the presence of psychic and material planes in three dimensional artworks. This research considers how a site-specific installation can be configured through precise staging; its measurement, placement and material experimentation; exploring density, composition and texture to generate and transform the space it occupies into a fantastical realm. Contribution Weaver and Ellis’ Nocturne (Entr’acte), is a collaborative site-specific installation which mirrors the large-scale stainless-steel lift that services Buxton Contemporary’s galleries. Weaver created 6 hanging silver painted panels encased in a fine tulle mesh to precisely echo the dimensions of the vertical lift doors. She invited Ellis to contribute 10 drawings intended as magical talismans, sewn on the inverse of the panels. This research contributes new knowledge to the field of site-specific installation through the innovative combination of textiles, collaged paint skins and ink drawings to suggest a threshold; an alternative (fantastical) point of departure from the gallery environment. Significance Nocturne (Entr’acte) was commissioned for Weaver’s exhibition Between Appearances: the art of Louise Weaver curated by Melissa Keys, at Buxton Contemporary, Melbourne University with significant funding from the Australia Council and Buxton Contemporary. This work was reproduced in a substantial catalogue. The exhibition was reviewed in national newspapers, magazine articles, extensive social media, interviews for radio; Podcasts.