Blackwood sculptor and Fungi Town artist Kathy Holowko tells Zoe Moffatt about her work in the community and connection to Moorabool.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?
I am a sculptor and work on all sorts of art forms including public art and installations for galleries or events. I also enjoy creating and running environmentally informed creative learning workshops for children and families.
What’s your connection to the Moorabool?
I’ve had my lovely little spot in Blackwood for over 20 years now. I have come and gone over the years but can’t seem to tear myself away from that forest and river.
What do you like about where you live?
I enjoy living by the forest edge with the animal visitors, exploring the forest and discovering things like fungi, playing in the river, the sense of space, the sounds, and the quiet. I love knowing my neighbours, having room to grow veggies, and exploring the region’s natural places and beautiful townships.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
I’d have better light and insulation in my house to get through the winters, and I would like a place where the community could gather and meet in Blackwood.
Where is your favourite local place to spend time?
I really like spending time in the forests, waterways and in my garden, listening to birds and frogs, harvesting organic veggies or making artwork in my studio. I also like visiting Trentham for yummy bread, the markets and driving the country roads.
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you?
I guess a lot of people would not have a clue that I’m an artist or that I get to take it to amazing places like the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens, or the State Library, they just see me tinkering around in the yard.
Tell us about your artwork with Moorabool council?
In May I will have a large digital print included in the Moorabool Paste Up project. It is an image of superb fairy wrens and was made as a three dimensional image that has been photographed.
The fairy wren is a local resident that provides us with ‘encounter value’ – a scientific term used to describe the meaningful worth in chance meetings with wild animals.
This artwork includes illustrations captured in the pristine environment of 18th century Australia and utilises the museum trope of the diorama to create a replica of an ecosystem.
The three dimensional composition is a contemporary interpretation that reflects upon the idea that a healthy waterway is the life blood of a habitat that allows plants and animals to flourish… including the human animal.
Tell us a bit about your connection to art?
I studied fine art as an adult and it opened up a whole new world to me, I really love it. I use art as a way to connect people to ecological cycles and create a deeper connection to our understanding of our natural world in the hope we can build a positive future together.
