Recently, one of our favourite artists Tracey Deep had her 4th annual showing at Saint Cloche Gallery in Paddington. Described as, a creative adventurer, a biology enthusiast and a magical plant sculptor, Tracey is celebrated for her sustainable sculptures and installations using organic and industrial recycled materials.

Her latest body of work was entitled ‘Sacred Land’. It was inspired by the fragility of our environment and her concerns about the increasing risks faced by our flora and fauna. Tracey sees our natural environment is sacred as these are the places we go to reconnect, to heal and to be inspired. Through the works in this exhibition, Tracey sought to draw attention to the responsibility we have to protect our natural environment.

“We are losing the very nature that we are reliant on, that is our life blood.”

Tracey Deep

Nature and its imperfection is a constant source of inspiration for us at Hare + Klein so it’s no surprise that we have always been drawn to Tracey’s work. Several Hare + Klein clients are now the lucky keepers of Tracey’s pieces. We always look forward to seeing what she’s up to and many clients have delighted in a trip to her Sydney studio. We love the variety in her work, from big strong pieces that command attention, to softer delicate works that sit quietly in their surrounds. It is always a pleasure to find the right place in a client’s home to place these works depending on the personality of the piece.

The installation of the works is also something to be experienced as Tracey will come to hang the pieces her self, usually accompanied by her mum and favourite art hanger Gill Rabinowitz. They begin by massaging the piece into formation on the floor, shuffling twigs this way and that until the composition is just right. Tracey and her mum will then gently lift the formation onto the wall while Gill secures it in place. As Tracey leaves, you almost sense a little bit of sadness as she says good bye to one of her ‘children’.

“What’s in a name? An aptronym is a personal name aptly or peculiarly suited to its owner. As Tracey’s name might predispose, she is deep. She loves deeply, thinks deeply, cares deeply. Her well of creativity is a deep, deep, boundless thing. A vast resource where year after year, and indeed decade after decade, she produces work that is not just great – it is otherworldly. ”

Amber Creswell Bell (author & curator)

Images via Saint Cloche Gallery