Infinite Regress – turtles all the way down, 2025, kinetic assemblage, 15x10x8.5cm
This work playfully examines the concept of infinite regress.
Turtles all the way down is a metaphor for infinite regress in reasoning – where every explanation relies on a prior one, with no ultimate foundation. The phrase describes a situation where the Earth is said to rest on the back of a giant turtle. When asked what supports that turtle, the answer is that it stands on another turtle – then another – continuing indefinitely.
Leap of faith, 2025, kinetic assemblage, 15x11x10cm
Skylark, 2025, kinetic assemblage, 19x16x16 cm
Twenty Thousand Leagues, 2024, kinetic assemblage, 35x35x25cm
This kinetic assemblage presents a miniature living room that opens onto the ocean floor. Viewed through small portholes, the underwater world enters the domestic interior, merging the idea of home with ocean life. When the clockwork key is wound, fish glide past the windows, animating the scene and inviting viewers into a slow, mechanical rhythm of observation.
The work draws on the sense of wonder inspired by Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, written in 1870 by Jules Verne. The classic adventure novel imagines the ocean as both a realm of discovery and a place of potential danger. Reflecting this duality, the artwork considers our enduring fascination with the deep while drawing attention to the fragile state of marine ecosystems today. What once evoked curiosity and adventure now also suggests vulnerability, as the oceans that sustain life face increasing environmental pressures.
1. Pygmalion’s Folly, after Gerome, 2022, kinetic assemblage, 15×11.5x7cm
2. Pygmalion’s Folly, after Gerome, detail 1
3. Pygmalion’s Folly, after Gerome, detail 2
4. Pygmalion’s Folly, after Gerome, detail 3
5. Pygmalion’s Folly, after Gerome, detail 4
Love Me Tender, 2021, kinetic assemblage, 42x18x17cm
This kinetic assemblage is activated by winding a mechanism that sets two marionette parents gently rocking their baby to the melody Waves of the Danube. The parental figures sway rhythmically while a music box plays a soft lullaby. At first glance the scene appears tender and serene, evoking the comforting rituals of care and protection. On closer inspection, however, the illusion begins to fracture. The baby is suspended precariously from a considerable height, and the parents’ stiff, mechanical movements introduce unease. What initially feels nurturing gradually reveals itself as unsettling.
The figures are housed within an old petrol tin, creating a juxtaposition between childhood toys and petroleum. Through this contrast, the work reflects the tension between care and harm. It questions how we can lovingly nurture our children while simultaneously endangering their future through an ongoing dependence on fossil fuels.
Work in progress – Love Me Tender, 2021
1. Turtle Island, 2022 kinetic assemblage 10x12x12cm
2. Turtle Island, detail
3. The Duck Wrangler, 2022, kinetic assemblage, 17x9x9cm
4. The Duck Wrangler
This work was created for a group exhibition that explored the ecosystem of the Glenbrook Lagoon, Blue Mountains, NSW.
