Simone Brown

Materia Prima, Simone Brown, 2023, recycled Styrofoam paint on paper using turmeric, paprika, Dhurag ochres, charcoal, chalk, copper rust and hydrochloric acid for pigments, nine test tubes containing Dhurag ochres and charcoal, six test tubes containing recycled Styrofoam paint, test tube rack and moving image, 10 min 47 sec, dimensions variable.

Materia Prima is a substance that holds ultimate potential, something from which all things are made. The installation, Materia Prima is a close investigation of the relationship between artist and material, bringing together spiritual, alchemical, chemical, environmental and artistic dialogues.

In classical alchemy, the Materia Prima is often considered to be a sort of gross sludge. Contemporary views around plastics have evolved to view the material similarly. The paints in this installation were primarily produced from the plastic, Styrofoam, found illegally dumped in Dhurag bushland and common found pigments.

This installation investigates the ways in which the origins and historical and cultural implications of materials can influence the experience of art and the world at large. Paint has the ultimate ability to be transformed, to transmute matter, and transcend its very own materiality. In this form, it is the Materia Prima