Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Accession Number AWM2021.689.1
Collection type Art
Measurement overall: 56 x 25 cm
Object type Sculpture
Physical description Jingdezhen porcelain, slip cast, glazed overglaze painting
Maker Williams, Diana
Date made 2005
Conflict Period 2000-2009
Copyright

Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright

Description

Diana Williams (b. 1958) is an Australian porcelain artist whose works have been exhibited internationally. This work is No. 29 of 30 works displayed in Williams' 'The High-Fired Series' exhibition at ACT Legislative Assembly, Canberra ACT in late 2005.

"The magnificence and fragility of the Black Cockatoo’s feathers have an innate precision for flight. An Indigenous spiritual story of the Tiwi people believes this unusual species signals and guides the spirit of the dead into the afterlife. I compared the similarities and dichotomies between the power of flight of the manmade aggressive object of war and the natural inherent strength of the Cockatoo in flight." (Diana Williams, artist statement, revised 2021)

Williams has been using the porcelain artillery shell as a medium for many years having produced and exhibited multiple iterations of 'High-Fired' since 2005. Of her practice, the artist states:

"Porcelain embraces my very strong attraction to Chinese art and to the significance of ceramics as a major art form. The title, 'High-Fired' is derived from the making process of porcelain clay. The raw clay must be 'high-fired' in the extreme heat of a kiln (1330°c.) to transform it into porcelain. Artillery shells need to be 'fired high' to hit a target. The genesis of 'The High Fired Series' occurred in 2005, while working as an invited Artist in Residence at the studio of the Great Sculpting Master, Liu Yuan Chang from Jing De Zhen, China. At the time I was having difficulty accepting my son's decision to join the Royal Australian Navy, following the footsteps of my husband and that of his forbears. As a mother, I sought to understand my son, and the role that the military has played in my family's history. As I reflected on the current world climate, my German heritage, and the anxieties I hold for my son and future generations, I was compelled to pacify and undermine the aggressive character of the artillery shell form. I selected the shell because of its associations with my son's naval duties, which are specifically related to artillery. This powerful form is simultaneously a weapon of destruction and also counter-intuitively a way to attain peace. This seeming contradiction emphasizes the destruction versus creation dichotomy. By manipulating the shells dichotomies and symbolism, I sought to illustrate a middle ground between creation and destruction, offering possibilities for a range of interpretations and my desire for balance, hope and peace." (artist statement, porcelainartist.com.au 2022)