Normanhurst artist Kate Andrews’ cryptic idea wins art award at Rookwood Cemetery
HORNSBY ADVOCATE: Sydney’s historic necropolis has turned out to be a winning field of endeavour for Normanhurst artist Kate Andrews.
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Sydney’s historic necropolis has turned out to be a winning field of endeavour for Normanhurst artist Kate Andrews.
The mother-of-two won the top prize of a sculpture competition at Rookwood Cemetery.
Andrews was selected from 42 contenders as a co-winner of this year’s Hidden — A Rookwood Sculpture Walk with her work Preserve Your Memories (They’re all that’s Left of You).
The textile artist created slip-covers for a group of headstones at Rookwood Cemetery, with the gravestone inscriptions still being able to be seen through the fabrics.
Andrews says her works have a deep meaning to them.
Her strong statement suggests while people cover and wrap things up in their daily lives to protect them, such as food, furniture and clothing, the same should be done to preserve the memories of loved ones.
She says she had been going to Hidden for years with her family but one day she decided to have a go herself.
“I thought it would be lovely if I could do it across the headstones in the area,” she said.
“I had to get the power tools out — I made the headstones out of lightweight concrete.
“I went to Rookwood to see what you see over and over again on the headstones.
“Each headstone is a different shape (and has) different text.”
Andrews says the creative process took quite some time and she kept her grave stones out in the front yard, which she used as her workshop.
“The neighbours never questioned it though,” she says.
“I had them in the driveway.”
Her headstones are heavy and bulky and Andrews has already started speculating on what she can possibly do with them after the exhibition.
“We thought maybe for Halloween we could set them up in the front garden.
“ I wasn’t even expecting to be selected for the competition.
“I regard it so highly.”
She says her children weren’t freaked out either, knowing their mother won an art award being shown at a cemetery.
“The kids are used to me coming up with crazy ideas but they are proud of their mother being joint winner,” she says.
The Hidden — A Rookwood Sculpture Walkis now in its seventh year and provides an opportunity for the community to experience Rookwood Cemetery in a refreshing and surprising way, revealing contemporary creativity alongside Rookwood’s extraordinary history which can be discovered by taking an exploratory walk through it.
The art exhibition takes place in some of the oldest parts of the vast cemetery and aims to not only dispel the suggestion that cemeteries are dark, somehow sinister or foreboding, but also to highlight the enormous diversity surrounding the creative, cultural and social aspects of Rookwood.
Rookwood General Cemeteries Reserve Trust chief executive Fiona Heslop said this was a great exhibition and was a little different to the norm.
“Our aim, through this unique event, is to share Rookwood’s history and culture with the wider Sydney community and, to some extent, demystify some of the misconceptions of cemeteries as always being dark or intimidating settings,” Heslop said.
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Hidden is open to the public until October 18.
Programs are available from the Rookwood General Cemeteries Reserve Trust office on Hawthorne Ave, next to the All Souls Chapel.
For full details visit the web at: hiddeninrookwood.com.au.
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