This series explores the ways humans interact with the natural environment, presenting a contemporary take on outdoor activities and leisure and our artificial conceptualisations of nature. Drawing from my sculptural principles and theories on the human construction of ‘landscapes’ and ‘terrains’ under the banner of social sculpture, these ‘pocket parks’ defy conventional categories—they are neither architecture, furniture, nor traditional landscapes but unique spaces for physical occupancy.

Past works have demonstrated how these terrains carry social and psychological significance, from drawings capturing the experience of walking to reconstructed ‘living’ landscapes and three-dimensional inflated ‘livable’ terrains.

‘Mounges,’ a terrain or mountain range of lounges, is a temporary public sculpture designed for urban spaces. It transforms concrete thoroughfares into recreational landscapes, creating a ‘pocket park’ that reimagines the environment.

Physically, ‘Mounges’ echoes the surrounding mountain ranges while simultaneously presenting nature as a form of entertainment. It offers a place for recreation, a stage, and a retreat from the verticality of the urban environment.

Though obviously artificial, these works harmonise with the natural elements around them, challenging viewers’ perceptions of nature and inviting them to rethink their relationship with the landscape.

'XOXO Mounges' to the view, landscape of site and winner of the Sculpture on the Edge Prize 2022 
Photo: Tedaldactyl

I-LAND Mounges for the Art with Altitude Festival Brisbane Airport Corporation Photo: Rod Buchholz

Mounging on Albert - art installed in Brisbane CBD 
as temporary intervention for the Science Festival

Various users of the mounges in 
Mounging on Albert, Albert st 
intervention for an afternoon of 
mounging and music, Brisbane 
Science Festival

The ‘Mounges’ Pocket Park series is particularly suited for sensory engagement and the neurodiverse community, offering a tactile, immersive experience that stimulates multiple senses. The soft, contoured surfaces of the ‘Mounges’ provide a welcoming space for physical interaction, encouraging visitors to touch, recline, and explore at their own pace. These installations create a soothing environment where individuals can engage with their surroundings in a way that feels safe and comfortable. The playful design and organic forms of the ‘Mounges’ allow for varied sensory experiences, making them ideal for those who seek spaces that cater to different sensory needs and preferences. By transforming urban spaces into inclusive, interactive environments, the ‘Mounges’ offer a unique, accessible retreat that resonates with the neurodiverse community.

MOUNGES as interventions and temporary commissions

'Escapespace', commissioned by Museum of Brisbane 
for the exhibition INHABIT - Ideas for Better Living. 
Eagle Lane Brisbane CBD, remained in the street for 
6 months as requested by the local users.

Above image: 'Mounging from the Heart' commission 
for Yarrabilba community as temporary seating 
elements.

Above: 'Flourish' commissioned by Southbank Brisbane 
as part of the Design Festival. Temporary work in 
collaboration with Blackburne and Jackson Architects 
and Kane Constructions

‘Mounging from the Heart’ is a sculptural installation designed for temporary events and semi-permanent installations within the parklands of Yarrabilba. The curvaceous forms of these structures are inspired by the contour lines of an echocardiogram of the artist’s then 92-year-old mother’s heart, translating the rhythms of life into tangible, climbable, and relaxing surfaces.

These artificial turfed forms, with their flattened vertical sides, seem to rise organically from the earth, their ends neatly cropped as if extruded directly from the landscape. Just as an echocardiogram, often called a cardiac echo, captures the heartbeat in a visual graph, these ‘mounges’ bring that rhythm to life in a 3D form, serving as a temporary sonogram or echo of Yarrabilba’s heart.

Also the forms can be easily stacked and stored when not in use.

INTRIGUING, DYNAMIC, EXCELLENT LANDSCAPE