Vicki Mason’s Barcelona residency
Artist Vicki Mason is in Barcelona undertaking a three-month Australia Council for the Arts Residency.
Given her strong focus on botanical imagery, research is a core element of Vicki Mason’s arts practice. As part of her residency, Vicki is explore the collection at the Botanic gardens in Barcelona with its large holding of Mediterranean plants, as well as utilising the research centre (library and herbarium) at the Botanical Institute that forms part of the gardens.
Parks, gardens, plants and how people use water in Spain to maintain plant life are, for Vicki, fascinating topics for investigation. The movie Mad Max – Fury Road with its post-apocalyptic focus on water as a resource and controlled commodity doled out by a tyrannical warlord might seem a long way off, but it’s all rich inspiration when thinking about water in relation to plants and gardening in Australia in a drying climate.
With jewellery galleries such as Klimt02, Siesta and Amaranto Joies to inspire and a warm and welcoming jewellery and craft/art community Vicki will no doubt find her time in Spain a richly rewarding work experience. Enabling Australian Spanish connections to take place, residencies like this not only keep artists in touch with the international community of makers but also give them time to concentrate on developing new work, be inspired by local museums, art galleries and architecture while creating networks to share with those when back at home.
