FEAR NOT
Questioning what is a weed or a plant and their relationship with people by leaving the question in between emotional states and playing with dualistic concepts of repulsion and attraction.
Visitor interacting with Fear Not oxidised and pressed urban weeds (various), moulded onto encaustic resin objects (detail)
Fear Not oxidised and pressed urban weeds (various) moulded onto encaustic resin domed objects (detail)
Fear Not oxidised and pressed urban weeds (various) moulded onto encaustic resin rectangular and squared objects (detail)
Fear Not oxidised and pressed urban weed Trifolium repens (white clover) moulded onto an encaustic resin domed object (detail)
Encaustic resin objects
In Entropy_Fear Not (2018) Ferracin reflects about the relationship between weeds and people. The term weed can trigger psychological responses such as fear, and associations like ‘disorder’, ‘uncontrolled’ and ‘impurity’.
Driven by this, Ferracin eradicated, oxidised, pressed and froze various species of urban weeds found in the backyard of Culture at Work and the surrounding Pyrmont Park, and transformed them into precious collectable memorabilia.
In Fear Not, Ferracin questions what is a plant or a weed by leaving the visitor in between emotional states and playing with dualistic concepts of repulsion and attraction.
The objects of encaustic resin in Fear Not show myriads of bubbles trapped inside various square, rectangular and dome shapes, as if the organic matter is realising its last breath of life. In reality, this natural phenomenon is due to a chemical process that occurs when hot and cold temperatures meet during the settling stages of encaustic resin, causing the organic bacteria to release air.
Artwork details
| Artwork | Entropy_Fear Not (2018) |
| Material | oxidised and pressed urban weeds (various), moulds and encaustic resin |
| Dimensions | 7(L) x 7(W) x 3(H) cm; 3(W) x 12(L) x 7.3(H) cm x piece |
| Exhibition |
Marta Ferracin + Lisa Tolcher
CULTURE@WORK (CAW), Pyrmont, NSW, AU 3 - 17 November Artist talk 8 November |
| Art residence | art+science CAW – October 2018 |
| Links | Exhibition catalogue Weed list |
Credits
Curator
Ivana Jiràsek
Photos
Corey Rankin; courtesy of the visitor
Provision of CAW Space
art+science Culture@Work
© Marta Ferracin 2025 Website by Natalia