Sound gives fresh take on QLD floods

Art comes in many forms – painting, photography, sculpture, installations and much more.  And it’s not limited to visual forms. The Floodlines exhibition at SLQ showcases a unique response to the floods in the form of a soundscape – a collection of sounds gathered and compiled by soundscape artist Lawrence English.

Lawrence collected sounds (both natural and man-made) from all over Queensland for over a month during the 2010/2011 floods. He also spent time recording the Brisbane river from different locations, in order to get a sense of how it flowed and moved. “The motion of water was something I became very interested in as it takes on a quite musical sound,” Lawrence said.

The sounds used in the exhibition were chosen because the artist felt that they accurately portrayed the enormity of the effect of the floods, not just in Brisbane, but of Queensland as a whole. “I feel it’s important to realise that we fit into something bigger than the idea of metropolitan life,” Lawrence said. “The division of metro or regional for example is meaningless when it comes to Mother Nature, and I think there is a beauty in that”.

The Floodlines soundscape can be experienced at the SLQ gallery, and Lawrence English – along with other contemporary artists – will share the fascinating concept behind his work at a free artist talk on Wednesday the 9^th of May on level 2.

Bookings required slq.eventbrite.com or 07 3840 7768.