Edge of the Trees

This installation by Janet Laurence and Fiona Foley symbolises the first encounter of Aboriginal people with the white invaders. Traditional materials (wood, stone, hair, ochre, bone) represent indigenous heritage, while the steel pole acts almost like a needle which injected a new era into the century-old ancient culture. Some poles "speak" to you –if you listen carefully and you'll hear Aboriginal and First Fleeter's names. The names of 29 Aboriginal clans from around Sydney correspond to the 29 vertical poles. Aboriginal people hid within the edge of trees, Foley and Laurence have created a site-specific public sculpture for all Australians. The work integrates the concerns of Sydney’s Aboriginal people, their life and culture, the people of the First Fleet and the rich and varied flora of the city, which is, juxtaposed against Sydney’s skyscrapers. The site, which once symbolised cultural destruction, is now welcoming and comfortable and was seen by many as a step towards reconciliation.

The assemblage represents a meeting of cultures and a passage of Australian history. The pillars are engraved with archaeological and historical texts. Not only do the pillars act as a holder of information but are also essential as part of the historical importance of the work. The materials the pillars are made from relate to significant events and places, as well as the actual site that the assemblage is found on today. The wooden pillars were a part of the original Government house, which was previously situated on that specific site. The names found throughout the work are those from the Aboriginal clans that used to inhabit the area, the diary entrees records the First Fleeters encounters. The whispers of the Eora people clash and contradict with the sounds of the surrounding traffic, as does the weathered wood pillars when compared to the steel pillars; again representing Laurence's theme of two cultures meeting."\

The ‘Trees’ are not a literal forest. The...