Britt Salt

Vibrant Matter

about the artwork

Vibrant Matter is a visual reinterpretation of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River, Western Australia) and the energy that emanates from it, through pattern, light and space. Spanning the auditorium’s exterior shell, the work invites viewers to move around it and explore the space, revealing overlapping patterns that shift with the viewers’ interaction. The work is materially and visually complex in its parts. Viewed as a whole, these components blur and become a gentle undulating pulse, speaking to the vibrant nature of Derbarl Yerrigan and its perpetual flow through the landscape.

Fabrication UAP

artist statement

“At night, Vibrant Matter’s lighting is inspired by the research of Dr Nicole Jones, Dr Matt Rayson and Dr Will Edge at the University of Western Australia. I explored acoustic signals to detect features that are otherwise invisible or intangible, such as plumes of sediment rising from the Derbarl Yerrigan riverbed. Data from this research has been reimagined as light and movement to illuminate the artwork, visualising the unseen energy of the river.”

about the artist

Britt Salt
Born Jambinu | Geraldton, Western Australia
Lives and works Naarm | Melbourne

Britt Salt’s practice is an ongoing spatial experiment where fundamental elements such as line, form and space intertwine. Across drawing, sculpture and installation, she employs repetition and materials with an inherent ability to create movement, such as industrial meshes. These mesmerising transparent structures are suspended in space, offering a multitude of forms and interpretations. Salt has been selected as a finalist in various Australian art prizes and attracted prestigious awards, including the Art & Australia Emerging Artist Award, Freedman Foundation Travelling Scholarship, and grants from Creative Victoria and the Department of Culture and the Arts, Western Australia. She has undertaken international residencies in France, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Finland and Iceland. Salt has also created large-scale public artworks for clients including Melbourne International Airport, PwC, Moreland City Council, Wyndham City Council, Fender Katsalidis Architects, UAP (Brisbane and Shanghai) and Tsinghua University in Beijing.