Floating Myths was part of Regional Arts Victoria’s ‘Such Fertile Ground’ – a project celebrating regional Victoria’s cultural achievements in 100 years from Federation. Each of the 12 towns and regions involved created large scale images based on endemic, culturally important stories and materials. These images were aerially photographed and presented in a postcard extending the image and the memories of the work and also promoting the image and the region. Fourteen regional artists worked with their communities in devising and constructing a piece of contemporary art on such a large scale!
The Beechworth project focused on the myths and legends of the region. Beechworth artist Mark Selkrig supported by Beechworth Arts Council and many community volunteers created Floating Myths, an installation on Lake Samuel for a single day.
The image was based on…
- The ploughshare helmet of infamous colonial bushranger Ned Kelly. The legend of Kelly is built as much upon fact as it is on fiction. A replica of Kelly’s armour is held in Beechworth’s Burke Museum.
- A golden horseshoe. Beechworth’s Daniel Cameron, in 1855, seeking election to Victoria’s Legislative Council, rode to town at the head of a large crowd on miners on a horse shod with pure gold.
- A dragon, symbolising the extraordinary contribution of a significant Chinese community which lived in Beechworth from the start of the 1850s gold rush.