Jennifer Allnutt, a visionary artist hailing from Melbourne, introduces the world to her mesmerizing project that straddles the line between perception and reality. Infusing her surrealist sensibilities into everyday objects, Allnutt transforms the often-overlooked stones she encounters into captivating art pieces. Her work revolves around painting detailed human eyes on these stones, each one carrying the weight of unseen stories. Once her masterpieces are complete, she replaces them with the landscape of Queenstown, Tasmania. Allnutt’s work speaks to the twin themes of discovery and ephemerality; her stones sit as silent sentinels in the environment, waiting to be unearthed by a curious passerby or perhaps to descend back into obscurity.
This artistic endeavor is not just an exercise in creativity, but also a nod to the layered history surrounding Queenstown’s rich mining culture. Allnutt’s work manages to blur the lines between art and nature, seamlessly integrating her creations into the terrain. The stones, imbued with lifelike eyes, offer an interplay between observation and anonymity, as they blend with the earth, challenging onlookers to rethink their engagement with the natural world. Through this dynamic synergy, Allnutt not only contributes to community art but also fosters an interaction between history and modernity, leaving behind an indelible mark on Tasmania’s cultural landscape.
On a recent residency with Q Bank Gallery in Queenstown, Tasmania, I began a project of transforming collected rocks into painted eyes and returning them to the landscape to be found or lost forever. Queenstown has an extensive mining history and there were many unusual rocks everywhere. So I began a collection and what started as something for myself grew into a treasure hunt/community art project.
Jennifer Allnutt
More info: Website, Instagram.
