Brit Bunkley and Andrea Gardner Garden Shed, 2018-19
Video and found shed, Dimensions variable. Video duration: 8:07 mins
Garden tools, gloves on a shelf, seeds, fertilizer, pots and sprays … these are some of the treasures of a garden shed, with its promise of contentment, creativity, beauty and communion with nature. In contrast, this garden shed contains a video presenting a 21st-century interpretation of gardens seen through the lens of 3D scanning. Situated in a corner of the video is a small swaying figure wearing a Tree Hat, suggesting a quiet reverence and longing for the natural world.
The video (which includes 3D animation and actual footage) focuses on gardens in Waiheke including the Sacred Blessing Sanctuary Garden, the Mudbrick Vineyard garden, the private garden of Graham and Jackie Guthrie and a commercial flower garden, Nourish Gardens, run by Christy Ralphs. The music “Like the Bitter Rind of a Cucumber” is by the Dunedin musician Alastair Galbraith. Garden Shed alludes to the increasing presence of virtual experiences in contemporary life and raises questions around perception, authenticity and our ongoing and changing relationship with nature.
