• CSU student displays sculpture in leading environmental exhibition
• One of 29 artists invited to exhibit in Katoomba in Blue Mountains
• ‘Cascade’ prompts consideration of the aesthetics of plastics and their flow into worldwide waterways

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) creative arts student who studied online has been invited to exhibit a sculpture in one of the leading outdoor sculpture exhibitions in Australia.

The 2019 Sculpture at Scenic World at Katoomba in the heart of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains features 29 artists from New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Sweden and Finland. It is on from Friday 12 April to Sunday 12 May.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Ms Elizabeth West studied online with the CSU School of Communication and Creative Arts. She said studying online with CSU has been important to her because she has lived and worked between Melbourne and Sydney for the last five years.

She described the effect of her sculpture ‘Cascade’ thus: ‘A cascade sparkles in the light filtered through the canopy of trees. Something is strange, encouraging a second look; what should be flowing, is static. A sense of illusion plays on the imagination, inviting a closer look.’

“ ‘Cascade’ is a comment on the flow of plastics into our waterways worldwide,” Ms West said.

“Salvaged plastics are used to represent a natural water formation, presenting the paradox of appearing organic while being out of place.

“The experience of this work is also an invitation to witness the beauty of this material,” Ms West said.

“Plastic has its origins in ancient natural materials and has been developed by human interaction with these resources.

“Navigating our relationship to plastic requires a constant flow of attention and choices, seeking pathways for change.”

Ms West said ‘Cascade’ is a symbol of this process and also offers another dimension, paused in stillness.

“Take a moment of time to consider the aesthetics of plastic and ponder a different perspective; plastic is not the problem, it’s our relationship to this material that must evolve.

 “As this evolution gains momentum the impacts of change will cascade into our lives and the total environment,” she said.

As an artist with concern for the environment, Ms West said she also values very highly that CSU is Australia’s first certified carbon neutral university.

“I am also grateful for Charles Sturt University’s commitment to Indigenous Cultural Competency as I feel this has, among many more, specific implications for the future of our relationship to the environment,” she said.