JANE SKEER

 Abstraction of our city

Taking the time to know my own backyard was a decision I made consciously while working on residency/exchange with ACE Open & the Kochi Biennale Foundation in Fort Kochi, India February 2020. Looking with more focus, paying attention to everything, seen and unseen, navigating the urbanised landscape on foot for the past 5 months has led me closer to discovering who we really are.

Growing up regionally I have struggled to find beauty in the city environment. I am constantly yearning for the wide-open spaces of regional South Australia. Working as artist in residence for the City of Adelaide and Guildhouse has allowed me the time and space to observe, research, document and extend my awareness of inner city living.

Every day has been a journey taking me closer to capturing the essence of Adelaide. Everything in the urban landscape has become an object for my consumption. My iPhone became the lens I saw through, highlighting and capturing the ordinary, the everyday, evaluating the relationships between us humans and our environment.

I have strolled along sidewalks, down alleyways, been enchanted with nature and wildlife in our parklands, observed how signs govern and guide us, administering knowledge to navigate our city. I have entered properties both obeying and disobeying directional advice, digging to absorb everything. I have found humour in the way we humans occupy space and exist in urban culture. I have witnessed the way architecture changes through times, and the way we attempt to cover up our past and graffiti. I find myself intrigued in the way we dispose of the everyday, the way we work, live, participate, and move through our city.

ARTWORKS Artist in Residence - Guildhouse and City of Adelaide