Artwork at Cockatoo Island: Jumping Castle War Memorial - Essay Example

Australia, particularly Sydney, had been a venue of contemporary arts as expressed by an array of artists the world over. The international collaboration of art showcase has been known as the Biennale of Sydney (BOS), celebrated every two years. The year 2010 would be the 17th BOS with the presentation of artworks being directed by Davit Elliott. Accordingly, Elliot averred that the Cockatoo Island was chosen as the major exhibition venue because the island is “historically significant as both a prison and an industrial powerhouse; it offers a variety and vastness of space, which is a fantastic challenge and privilege for artists. It is one of the unique environments of Sydney and we will be filling it with art” (Australian Government, 2010, par. 4). The island’s vast expanse of spaces accords opportunities to display art forms of different genres and forms. In addition, its rich historical background provides the perfect landscape to exhibit contemporary and international art expressions of people from all walks of life.

One of the artists participating in the event is Brook Andrew, known as an “interdisciplinary artist working in photography, neon, screenprint, mixed media, public art and installation” (Brook Andrew, 2010). His Jumping Castle War Memorial, a seven-meter-wide black and white Wiradjuri patterned jumping castle, will showcase his artistic talent on the 17th BOS. As proffered by Gardner, the Jumping Castle War Memorial “is surely a perverse oxymoron. What is a memorial, after all, but a space of solemn contemplation, a testament to lives lost, a lasting monument… appear to be antithetical interests: on the one hand we have the uprightness and adult reflection often associated with memorials, with their somber concerns for the past, their rigid angularity and equally rigid stonework; and on the other hand, the bouncing castle that reverberates with the giggly squeals and spongy jumps of children locked in the throes of forgetting the world around them” (Gardner,  2010, par. 1).

The theme for the 17th BOS is ''The Beauty of Distance: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age'' saw the beauty in the distance as manifested in giving self-expression through qualities and capabilities as well as in the condition of art in its very nature (BOS: Theme, 2010, pars. 2 &3). Using this theme, Andrew gave an aesthetic rendition of his art through exemplifying contrasting meaning: solemnity of the reminiscing the victims of genocide but at the same time giving space for joy and happiness for not remembering any traces of death through his art.

As emphasized by David Elliot, the theme “explores the affirmative power of art in the face of unprecedented threats to us all: war, famine, poverty, disease, environmental pollution, and global warming” (Elliote, 2010, 50). Despite various challenges and trials that people all over the world strive to survive, art finds expression in various forms and themes. As creatively crafted by Andrew, this artwork is a clear indication of expression of a form of tribute to victims of lost lives but people making the tribute are encouraged to remember them in joy and peace through a unique art form. Utterly antithetical but truly realistic and contemporary in form, theme and artistic medium. As aptly summed by Andrew, “it is easier today for people to feel hatred and fear because cultural boundaries are shifting. Today we have a chance to move on. To bring to the front a new order of knowing, exploring, and learning and sharing. We exist as multiples as we have never existed before. We all need to own ourselves; we should let people do this” (Retake, n.d. par. 4). His artwork at the 17th BOS is a true manifestation of the artistic expression of beauty in contemporary art.