“In Search of Electric Opal”
by Michael Clark, Lorrae E
(edited by Glenn Lawrence)
“You must become sister to Opal, become her friend. Beware, she is a celestial
temptress, a jealous one, her beauty pure beyond words, and she will lure men
off into the desert in an often relentless search for her.”
An enlightening conversation evolves as two cultures meet, discussing
the dangers that could lie ahead.
“Look at him Lorrae, Opal, she has got him. Become her
sister or you could lose him to the mesmerising rainbow serpent stone of the
desert.”
Such wise words of observation. I found myself standing there, sculpting
these magnificent stones of colour, guilty and exposed of an affair that few
men experience and fewer women will tolerate. Respecting these wise words, we
answered this enchanting call rising from deep within the Australian Outback,
as we are swept away together in search of electric Opal.
Conceptually, the 2012 series of hand carved boulder opal sculptures was
motivated by an interest in exploring the history of Australia’s opal fields, wildlife
and it’s people. Fascination with the complexities of nature is an
understatement in describing our interest in the natural world, which took us
on a great adventure into a vast area of south western Queensland. What happens
here in these regions by force of nature is incredible, the astounding combination
of a variety of natural elements allows for great variations in the types of
Opal rocks available. Each type of stone can be unique to a particular area of
the Queensland Opal belt.
In the process of looking for sculpture stones, we were very interested
in highly patterned material, intricate design within the opal, stability and
patterning within the host rock. Stones, that stand out uniquely and which are
suitable for creating collectable, one of a kind art pieces.
Yowah and Koroit opal fields produce some of the most beautiful stones
that our opal fields have to offer. The swirling dark browns of the ironstone
laced through siltstone and sandstone form intricate patterns and designs,
highlighted by the iridescent opal. The
lines of ironstone are darker and often harder, accompanied with softer sandstone
and siltstone which is lighter and variable in colour. When I am sculpting in
this medium the combinations of soft and hard stone, combined with the
crystalline texture of opal, creates a challenge through each step of the
procedure. But once polished or left naturally textured this process can
produce an outstanding finish.
Within the formation of these rocks, nature has shown no limitation or
repression in her artistic expression, creating surreal, unique natural picture
stones, seascapes and landscapes, often representing the desert scenes in which
these stones are found, all the different environments that have come and gone
to create these fascinating stones.
The opal fields are scattered across an ancient landscape that once was
the edge of the inland sea. The erosion of millions of years has left us with
naturally sculpted, flat top mesas producing spectacular views over tapering
red desert valleys, sparsely dotted with silvery green mulga trees. Hidden beneath
the colourful wildflowers and the yellowing desert grasses of this dynamic
landscape are mysterious patches of ground concealing stones of electric fire.
Since the discovery of opal in these areas in the late 1800’s people
have come here in search of this magnificent stone. Legendary names rose up
from the desert floor; Whiskey Flat, The Southern Cross, The Great Old Extended
and Brandy Gully mark the spots of earlier diggings. Yowah, Koroit, Blackgate,
Duck Creek and Sheep Station Creek are areas renowned for producing these
wonderful opal nuts, ironstone matrix, nut conglomerates and boulders, which
can contain some of the most vibrant crystal opal.
So there we were, as if caught up in a desert willy-willy, being blown
around from opal fields to miners camps, mixing it with the hardy souls of the
outback, many of them living gems. Characters full of life with stories of missed
fortunes and found treasures, some still lost deep in the search. The awe inspiring ghost gums majestically
line the river’s edge and the ancient handmade aboriginal rock water holes are
all full now, in country that can be so incredibly dry. A rustic old abandoned miner’s hut now stirs only
with a desert zephyr, suspended in time, as if waiting for it’s long lost owner
to return. Spectacular colours of blood
red and golden orange stream from a Koroit sunset as we watch the sky slowly
melt into an endless starry blanket above our camp fire and drift off into the complete
silence of the desert night.
As each of the stones was gathered, and with new found inspiration
needed for this year’s sculptures, we were released from the magic of Koroit to
return to our rainforest home and studio to transform these raw gems into
timeless art pieces.
These ancient fascinating stones… What stories do they have, waiting to
be revealed as they chatter away in the car over another dusty, corrugated
western Queensland
road? Listening to their whispering I
find myself dreaming, lost in the potential for carving these inspiring stones.
As we head east for the coast our thoughts go out to new friends, left
in their search for that “special” stone. Surrounded by their desert
sanctuaries, they are still looking for that patch, a fiery pocket of colour, a
treasure that takes your breath away… leaving you speechless!
And, what of opal “the celestial temptress”…?
Had she lured me again to seek her out amongst the never ending gibber
and gidgee plains, to a little place call Koroit?
Did “the temptress” accept Lorrae as her sister, allowing us to wander
freely in her desert paradise?
Did she scatter the trail with stones of fire as gifts to her favoured
sculptor?
Or am I simply nothing more than another natural element necessary in
the final transformation of these prehistoric wonders?
And, will we once again hear and feel that irresistable urge to return
to this ancient place in search of electric opal?
We hope so… ;)
The township
of Yowah plays host to
its annual Opal Expo every year in July and is a great way to sample the many
types of opal from all around the area as the show brings miners and dealers in
from far and wide with a huge collection of rough through to finished
stones. We, too, will be exhibiting our
sculptures at this year’s show, highlighting the latest 2012 series with some
of the beautiful examples of the Koroit material that we have gathered and
carefully carved into natural freeform sculptures and presented on Australian
Red Cedar stands.
If you would like to meet us and view our original and striking opal
sculptures, we will be exhibiting this year at:
Yowah Opal Expo 20th - 22th July,
Lightning Ridge Opal Expo 26th- 29th July,
Bribie Island
Gem Festival 8th – 9th September, 2012.
Or,
you can view our sculptures on our blog site: michaelclarkartopalsculptures@blogspot.com for a sneaky preview of the 2012 series.
