Methalu Tharri (Smooth sailing)

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land and pay respect to their leaders, past and present. Visitors to this website should be aware that names may be mentioned, or images portrayed, of people who are now deceased. Any distress this may cause is sincerely regretted.

Vic McGrath's Methalu Tharri (Smooth Sailing) takes its inspiration from the sails and mast of a traditional Torres Strait Islands canoe just landed on a beach. The artwork reflects the idea that all Australians share their experiences under the same stars.

On the sails, fabricated from weathered steel, are designs relating to important aspects of Torres Strait Islands culture. Represented on the first sail is the constellation of Tagai, a mythical hero who stands in a canoe; his left hand, the Southern Cross, holds a fish spear. The stars of Tagai usher in seasonal changes and are a guide to voyaging and cultivating throughout the Torres Strait. The constellation on the sail is created from inlaid, hand-carved pearl shell, producing a translucent field of stars.

The design on the second sail recalls the traditional craft of creating fretted pearl shells. At the centre of this pattern is a noon-marker - a simple sundial device that tracks the noonday sun throughout the year. The text on the adjacent concrete plinth (representing the beaches of the Torres Strait) is linked to the shadow cast by the noon-marker. The visitor is thus able to ascertain relative seasonal aspects, important to Torres Strait Islands culture.

Vic McGrath, born and still living on Waibene (Thursday Island), is a self-taught artist who learnt about scrimshaw and shell carving from traditional craftsmen. His work continues the Torres Strait tradition of carving pearl shell, turtle shell, black coral and dugong tusks, their surfaces etched with images of marine and terrestrial wildlife as well as more stylised design work. He has been involved in a wide range of cultural and environmental research and projects, including as Manager of the Gab Titui Cultural Centre, Thursday Island. He has curated an Indigenous art exhibition in Washington DC, where he also lectured on Torres Strait art at the Smithsonian Institute.

Design

• Artist: Vic McGrath
• Cultural Advisor: Joseph Elu
• Architect Kevin: O'Brien
• Graphic Design: Jennifer Marchant

Click here to learn more about Reconciliation Place and its artworks.