Bryan Cush, Dja Dja (TABLES, CHAIRS, DESKS 2021 )

Dja Dja is a piece which explores the landscape of the Macedon Ranges - the southernmost point of the Great Dividing Range. The area is the traditional land of the Dja Dja Wurrung and other groups and is dotted with a rich number of indigenous heritage sites. The piece consists of a Spotted Gum parallelogram top ‘draped’ over an interlocking Blackbutt frame. The topographic contours of the various volcanoes are engraved into the timber and the rivers and creeks inlaid in brass. The form of the piece was conceived with references to Aboriginal ‘Bunyip’ mythology - a mysterious crawling creature said to lurk in creeks. The eight dormant volcanic peaks are marked by inlaid igneous stone discs; each collected during hikes to the corresponding summit. The irregular rock samples were cross-cut and then cored to create the discs before being wet sanded and polished. These stone inlays also serve to reference the indigenous axe-grinding site at the base of Mt Macedon (also known as Geboor or Geburrh in the Aboriginal Woiwurrung language) - still evident today in the form of a large sandstone boulder with thirty-one grooves made by the sharpening of stone axes.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.