Available Work by Shary Bartlett

When observed under a microscope, the cellular make-up of vegetables, fruit and flowers are microcosms of all living and celestial life.

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On Earth, the largest and tiniest of lives are interconnected and interdependent. Over the ages, ecosystems of living and planetary elements (such as water, sunlight, atmosphere, and soil) have evolved a delicate balance.

Interlaced is a kinetic sculpture inviting spectators to physically interact with the work using a digital device in an analogue manner. Using the viewer’s phone’s flashlight on the gyred fibre sculpture causes unique shadow-play upon walls, evoking viewers to co-create unique outcomes through active engagement with the sculpture, as well as to interpret the pareidolia images they perceive in the mobile’s forms and shadows. 

“Meandering” links natural shapes, making visible the delicate web of elemental connections between plant life, cells, and the energies of earth air, fire and water.

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Flowers vibrate with life energy, opening and unfurling petals of delicate magnificence. For humankind, florals hold powerful symbolic and spiritual meaning. Across time, culture, history and religions, we gift blossoms to celebrate the rituals and major events in life: birth, love, marriage, graduation, illness, and death.

Inspired by nature’s magnificence, beauty, and intricate perfection, the artist’s choice of encaustic as a medium has raised her appreciation for the huge efforts of honeybees which create the wax. This body of work highlights the devastating effects humans and climate change have had on the environment, and in particular on honeybee colonies, drawing attention to their steep decline in recent years.

Contemplates the necessity of rest, hibernation, and the certainties of seasonal change. The tree silhouette also references the natural tree resin that is materially part of encaustic medium.