When multi-media artist Ruth Watson was asked about her four public sculptures of Mars and planet Earth commissioned in 2017 for the Wellington Sculpture Trust she commented: ‘I like the viewer to form interpretations of their own rather than my telling them what to think.’  Her comment might sound obvious as a principle for thinking about her practice, but Watson’s proposition is on firm ground, addressing questions about how we make sense of our lives.   Watson’s art provides accessible points of entry in images that have included maps, board games and jigsaw puzzles. The Ambassadors brings together thousands of travel-souvenirs about place, memory, and cultural representation, reminding us of what we hold on to - and possibly, our reasons for being.

Ruth Watson, Ilam Campus Gallery, Arts Road, University of Canterbury, 26 April – 26 May. 

IMAGE

1. Ruth Watson, Kosmos (detail), cibachrome print