Julia Davis

Julia Davis

View Undercurrent here

‘My work explores the effects of the passage of time, as it passes and appears as a past within the present. The process expands my understanding of the physical world, its properties and actions – how I impact and inhabit my environment and in turn, how it influences me.’ JULIA DAVIS

Oceanic waters are a powerful force that erode and build continental coastlines. Their daily ebb and flow are entrancing, palliative and shift the human psyche. Undercurrent brings together the metaphysical with innovations in technology to deepen our appreciation of the planet’s watery environs. Drone technology captured an aerial view of the tidal movements on the Tasmanian coast. Davis then supports this with the resonance of ice scraping over the Antarctic Ocean floor. Originally designed to detect Soviet submarines during the Cold War, the audio system used for the recording was developed by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In the twenty-first century the technology monitors the population and migration of marine mammals and underwater seismic activity.

The Work

Undercurrent 2017

Single channel, HD moving image, with sound
Duration: 11:00 min loop
Concept and Direction: Julia Davis 
Camera: Tom Waugh
Edit: Blue Lucine

About the Artist

Undercurrent (2017) by Sydney-based Julia Davis won Tidal: City of Devonport Art Award, 2018. The artist’s installations are often site-specific and her work has been installed in salt lakes, deserts, coastal precincts and parklands, as well as within galleries and the built environment.

Working across media including objects, moving image and printmaking, the artist has exhibited nationally and is the recipient of numerous awards and public art commissions. Davis has also secure several residencies, including Onslow Storrier National Art School, Cité Internationale des Arts residency, Paris (2020), Australia Council Residency in Rome (2012) and the Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award (2007).Davis has been included in group exhibitions in Mali, Wales, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Egypt, and The Netherlands. Her work is represented in private and public collections in Australia and Europe. Currently, Davis is a lecturer at the National Art School, Sydney.

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