Long Grass 2008
3D: Paper, wool thread, floral form and cloth
“ 'Long Grass' presents a reflection of Parap, Darwin. The work features a scene inside the box where an aboriginal guy is laying in the tall grass. With the box open, the viewer sees my work from a “birds-eye-view” or “God’s eye”.
I intend to create happiness, a fantasy or a dream in this work. In terms of my daily observation of Aboriginal people in Parap, I have come to the conclusion that The "Long Grasser" loves Chinese takeaway food. Putting a “long grasser” inside a Chinese Noodle box is like putting an Irish Guy into a Beer bottle -- let them be surrounded by pleasures. Meanwhile, considering the housing problem among Aboriginal communities, I have built a shelter for a “Long Grasser” with my “Noodle Box”.
I hope my work will bring viewers a tasty and meaningful experience."
Siying Zhou (Ms) is currently living and working in Darwin, Australia. Born in 1980 in China, Siying received academic training in drawing, sketching and oil painting skills during her high school years. After obtaining a Bachelor of Visual Arts Degree from Nanjing Institute of Arts (2003), she was accepted as a visual arts research student by the Sydney College of Arts, at the University of Sydney. Siying has a Master of Multimedia Design from SCA, and a Postgraduate Diploma of Interactive Media from the University of Technology of Sydney. Siying moved to Darwin in 2007 and currently works as Program Manager at 24HR Art - Northern Territory Centre for Contemporary Art.
Considering herself as a concept-driven artist, Siying’s practise crosses many art disciplines; computer screen-based work, video, installation and drawing. Interested in multi-cultural communities, new colonisation by backpackers and correlation of physical and imaginary spaces, Siying gains major inspiration for creativity from life experience. Her recent works include The Rhythm of the Shadows (2004) and Windows (2005) - two interactive computer screen based projects exhibited at SCA Sydney, Phoenix tails and flies (2008) - a large scaled installation exhibited at DVAA (Darwin Visual Art Association), Grass is Greener in Alice Springs (2009) - an installation with sound work exhibited at Watch This Space inc. and funded by Arts NT, Specimen of a Glove (2009) - an object based artwork exhibited in Hayley West and Tobias Richardson’s curated exhibition “The Gleaners – a lost glove project” at DVAA.
