Under Our Feet

Danny Webb, Big Picture, Hobart City High School

In collaboration with Danielle Zimmermann, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, UTAS

Artist’s Statement

My work examines the damage people make on things they cannot see, using scale to show how something that cannot
be seen is still there. My piece definitely messed around with scale quite a bit, some things are bigger than others as to put into focus how many things the human eye may miss and therefore not care about. I spent time studying the work this piece encapsulates because I had a profound interest on the impact humans make to things they pay no mind to, the tiny organisms under our feet that we have no care for.

I used a lot of mixed media such as sculpting and painting because I wanted my piece to have multiple elements out of my comfort zone. My scientist Del, is doing a study in which they review research from 50 years ago in which they study organisms in coastal sediment. Del’s role is to study the organisms in sifted samples and compare the changes over 30 or so years. I was fascinated with how much has changed over the years and I was fascinated with how much humans affect the world around them.

I wanted to make this piece to show how damaging and oblivious people can be. The chemicals they use can kill these organisms and the fishing industry can affect their food chain. I want people to open their eyes and at least realise how selfish of a species we are and how deeply we affect things we know nothing about.

I’m just saying that before you put an unnecessary chemical on your grass that will wash to beaches and into the grass, do you really need it? Is what you’re about to get or do really worth the consequences that affect others?