by Hanna Hoyne
Linear Park, entrance to Lundy underpass, Kingsgrove
Public art is in the public space – it is not locked behind glass doors and that makes it really, really valuable.
Moonvessel & Horn (Soul Mine) by Hanna Hoyne, pairs a crescent moon, lying on its back, next to a giant golden gramophone horn. The work gently gestures at cosmologies of the universe and the interior world of the human self.
The moon has fascinated people since the beginnings of time, guiding travellers on their movements across our planet and helping us understand our place in the universe. The moon sculpture is a kind of cosmic vessel, a symbol of journey. Shaped like a canoe, it has a relationship to the nearby Wolli Creek and travels the waterway has made possible since time immemorial. Created at a human scale, Moonvessel invites passers-by to sit and lie in the cradle of the sculpture, as if one might be transported on a celestial odyssey.
The gramophone Horn sculpture depicts a mechanical version of the naturally occurring trumpet shape used by humans for millennia to amplify song and man-made sound. It is a metaphor for listening, the kind of listening that directs one inwards to the soul.
Hanna Hoyne is a sculptor, designer & performance artist, sessional lecturer & researcher, exhibiting in Australia, Germany & Hong Kong. Hanna’s practice since 1997 comprises wearable sculptures for people and gifting those constructions to be worn or inhabited for spontaneous performance interactions. Initially working with soft and ephemeral materials; her interactive permanent public works explore metal, fiberglass and concrete.
Hanna’s practice since 1997 comprises wearable sculptures for people and gifting those constructions to be worn or inhabited for spontaneous performance interactions.
Since starting a family in 2012, Hanna is a full-time artist. She produces sculptural and performance costumes; her sustainable fashion label; and working on public sculpture commissions. She dreams of becoming involved in larger sustainable public space design projects with a vision to the future. Hanna recently won a commission from the City Renewal Authority in Canberra in collaboration with Redbox Design Group Canberra and UAP Company Brisbane. Crying Dinghy, a Spirit Recharge Vessel is installed at Henry Rolland Park at the edge of the Parliamentary Triangle in Canberra. During 2018, her sculpture designs were also shortlisted twice, for Lake Macquarie NSW & Dampier Palms WA.
Previous outdoor works included the Cosmic Recharge Series shown at Sculpture by the Sea in Sydney in 2016 & 2017, which were awarded a Helen Lempriere Scholarship ($30,000); and she was invited guest speaker for the Sculpture Conference at the Sydney Opera House in 2017. An earlier, non-permanent outdoor sculpture was shown as finalist at the Helen Lempriere Prize Finalist Exhibition, Werribee Mansion Gardens VIC in 2005 and Sculpture On The Edge, Bermagui NSW in 2008.
Hanna completed a Masters (RMIT Melbourne, 2004) and PhD (ANU Canberra, 2009) that included study in Seoul, South Korea; and fieldwork in India, Malaysia and Singapore. Her Dissertation was “Commitment, Belonging and Devotion in the World with reference to Two Contemporary Indian Artists”; and her Exegesis “Cosmic Recharge”.
Between 2006-2017 she lectured at the Australian National University School of Art and Design; in Art Theory, Sculpture Studio Theory, Print Media and Drawing and Core Studies (graduate & postgraduate). She has also held teaching positions at the University of Canberra; the National Gallery of Australia and Canberra Museum and Gallery; as well as delivered workshops for children of all ages.
These resources have been designed by experienced Visual Arts educators to support students and teachers studying and delivering the NSW syllabus for Visual Arts, and are tailored to Stage 4 and Stage 5.
Stage 6 teachers may also consider some of the artist studies for their students.
