Artist: Susan Hickey
Title: Untitled
Installed: 2014
Materials:
Location: Bangayarra Walkway, 19 Baylis Street, Wagga Wagga
Sue Hickey’s aerial map of Wiradjuri country shows an artist’s impression of the Murrumbidgee River, depicting it’s course from Narrandera in the west through to Oura in the east. The waratah is featured as the native flora emblem of New South Wales, as well as the Silver Banksia, which is the emblem for Wagga Wagga. Emu, snake, goanna, possum, kangaroo, bird and dog prints are tracked across the painting to indicate where these animals lived along the river.
The circles within circles is a traditional symbol to represent a camping or a meeting place. In this painting, these meeting places indicate the location of Narrandera (west), Wagga Wagga (centre) and Bomen (east).
Susan Hickey is a local visual artist who has been residing in Wagga Wagga for over 30 years. Hickey left her career in health over ten years ago to pursue a career in art after being inspired to study Aboriginal Art at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) led by renowned sculptor Janette Fieldson. Hickey learnt to weave with the local Hands on Weavers group where she began to spread her wings creatively.
Hickey has been commissioned to create artworks for Mount Austin High School, Ashmont Public School and Hampden Bridge Preschool.