28 June - 27 July 2025
Park Road Boardwalk, Noosa Heads
Sat 24 June to Sun 30 July
Celebrated for his hyper-realistic paintings, Juan Ford takes what is typically the source material for his elaborate two-dimensional works and shifts it into a space that can be experienced in three dimensions.
Walking along the Park Road Boardwalk, the naturally treed space between the elevated platform and the sea opens to reveal a grouping of familiar yet discordant forms. A domestic scene emerges, sans walls and roof, with figures relaxing amongst their possessions. There’s something different, however, about this family, their furniture and mod cons. Covered in native leaves and flora, the idea of the natural (out there in nature), and the familiar, human and domestic, are collapsed into relative indistinction. Responding strongly to the idea of a space between human and natural constructs, these people have been both visually and conceptually subsumed by the native vegetation of their surrounds.
Ford’s installation prompts the dual idea that everything we do and are is natural, and so much of what we do and are is harming natural processes. More globally, we are inseparable from the environmental consequences of our actions, as all actions done to nature are done to ourselves.
Often the best writing about art is simple and easy to understand – something that’s not always synonymous with ‘art-speak’ and the language encountered in art galleries and exhibition reviews. Community Critics sees a range of people from different backgrounds write responses to Floating Land projects, describing and interpreting them through their own lens.
Juan Ford
Custodians of the Interval
On the land and waters of the traditional owners and custodians of this land, the Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi people, Juan’s Ford “Custodians of the Interval” delves into a deep conversation that explores the ‘space between human and natural constructs. Beings that inhabit the space.’
Striking and thought provoking, Juan’s unsettling life size sculpture of a man from the natural world, made of leaves and branches, challenges us to explore whether we are part of nature, or ‘apart from nature’? Is possible for humans to coexist with nature without sacrificing our own needs and desires. And without exploitation of the natural world for profit.
Powerful and evocative, it also encourages the audience to reflect and think deeply about place and the responsibilities that come with that.
This ‘space’ is fragile and easily damaged. So, are we – ‘the beings that inhabit this space’ – committed and doing enough to nurture and protect this space for future generations?
The work also embodies a hidden meaning that is the source of this difficult dialogue – that the environment is not independent and outside of ourselves; that person and environment are ‘continuous’ or the same; and that the fate of humanity and nature are intertwined.
Occupying a front row seat, with views of the pristine waters of Laguna Bay and under open skies, Juan invites us to sit with him on the boardwalk for sunset drinks and to delve deep into a conversation that connects us all and to enter a world of working towards caring for Country.
This project has been realised with the help of a number of artists and volunteers including:
Jane Anderson, Kate Avery, Maize Charles, Beatrice Prost, Helena Jackson-Lloyd, Rosie Lloyd-Giblett, Kim Croft, Sandy Neale, Anna Miles, Sam Jensen, Ruby Donohoe
Year 11 from Students Nambour State College
Niamh O’Connor, Manon Hinze, Avalon Ferguson, Jazmin Kong, Shayla Larkin, Lily Bell, Enny Eccles
Teachers
Liz Clout and Craig Amos
MASTERCLASS WITH JUAN FORD:ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO DEPICTING NATIVE FLORA IN THE LANDSCAPE
Noosa Regional Gallery
Sun 25 June, 10am – 3pm
Join Juan Ford for a Masterclass at Noosa Regional Gallery on Sunday 25 June at 10.00am, focussed on capturing expressive monochromatic drawings of native flora using charcoal and ink.
This is a TICKETED WORKSHOP
| Fri 2 June – 30 July | 5:30pm – 7:30pm | Judy Watson Exhibition Opening |
| Fri 2 June – 30 July | 5:30pm – 7:30pm | Limitless Exhibition Opening |
| Fri 2 June – 30 July | 5:30pm – 7:30pm | Ode to DIY Exhibition Opening |
| Sat 24 June | 2pm – 5pm | Floating Land: Us and Them Launch Event |
| Sat 24 June | 2pm – 5pm | Brotherhood of the Wordless |
| Sat 24 June | 2pm – 5pm | Floating Ideas: The 2023 Floating Land Debate |
| 25 – 30 June | 10am – 4pm | Quota Park + Joe Bazzo drawing performances |
| Wed 28 June | 10:00am | BANNED BOOKS |
| Thu 29 June | 3pm – 5pm | Climate Conversation |
| 30 June – 2 July + 21 – 23 July | 5:30pm – 8:30pm | Kabi Kabi Reflections |
| 1 July + 15 July | 11am | Kim Guthrie Walk & Talk |
| 6 July, 30 July | 6pm – 7pm, 5pm – 7pm | Murang Ngai Artist talk and projection. |
| 8-Jul | 3pm – 5pm | Lax Luxe Deluxe: The Sunshine Coat X Floating Land |
| Thu 13 July | 6:30pm | TERROR NULLIUS |
| Sat 22 July | 10am | Meet the Artist: Todd Fuller |
| Sat 22 July | 11am | Meet the Author |
| Sun 23 July | 10:15 AM | Remain |
| Sun 23 July | 10:15am | In Conversation |
| 30-Jul | 5pm – 7pm | Murang Ngai multi-sensory event |
This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Noosa Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
Floating Land is a project of Noosa Council and Noosa Regional Gallery
Floating Land and Noosa Regional Gallery respectfully acknowledge the Kabi Kabi people as the traditional owners of the land upon which Floating Land takes place.
Noosa Regional Gallery, 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin, Queensland 4565 Australia Content including images © 2021 | Noosa Regional Gallery | All rights reserved.
