PROSTHETIC SKY

16 May – 3 July 2016

Curated by Simone Hine + Kyle Weiss

Travis H. Heinrich

Prosthetic Sky is a portrait of failures. Initially developed as a satirical response to Canberra’s centenary celebrations in 2013, the work was inspired by the artificial Lake Burley Griffin which, now polluted, has become a distorted mutation of the ‘natural’ beauty that it mimics. Similarly, for Prosthetic Sky, Heinrich has developed his own synthetic nature: an artificial ‘blue’ sky designed to offer a tantalising reprieve from Canberra’s perpetual grey. However, like Lake Burley Griffin, the blue sky becomes a shambolic reminder of attempts to ‘improve’ and domesticate nature, and the ambiguous legacy of the Garden City movement.

Part of BLINDSIDE Screen Series 2016.

Travis H Heinrich graduated with first-class honours in 2011 from the ANU School of Art, and is currently living and working in Melbourne. Travis is a multi-disciplinary artist, who works with the moving image, immersive installation, and contemporary interpretations of tromp l'oeil. His practice explores escapism; the subjective perception of his everyday surroundings; and phenomenology.

HD colour video | 19:22min (continuous loop)

Image courtesy of the artist.