Sea like a mirror comprises a series of works on paper by Laura Williams which focus on moments of stillness within the natural environment. Each work is inspired by a memory of a specific place and being absorbed in the natural surroundings. This has been a continuing theme in Laura’s work in recent years, and it also speaks to a broader need to seek our own forms of stillness, whether in nature or elsewhere.
The title of the exhibition ‘sea like a mirror’, is a phrase drawn from the Beaufort wind force scale, a system developed to determine wind force through observations of the surrounding environment. But while this phrase is reflective of calm conditions and stillness, if ‘sea like a mirror’ is read a different way, it could be about seeing in the environment a reflection of ourselves.
The artworks in the exhibition are all created with watercolour on paper, either as paintings, collages, sculptures or installations and using processes of painting, layering, attaching, folding, sewing, or suspending. While watercolour paint dries quickly, the other processes are all usually slow and become a meditative practice in themselves.
This project has been supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants.
Image: ‘Shallows’, 2025, watercolour, collage, 12 x 12 cm.
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