Renate Crow

Tawny Frogmouth, 2022

steel, wood, natural fibres, zip ties,

Perspex, spray paint, hessian

230 x 110 x 100 cm

Renate Crow is drawn to the tawny frogmouth for its presence in this area as well as in urban and rural backyards all over Australia. They are a success story. They’ve managed to adapt to their changing environment, while so many other native creatures struggle for survival. At once a familiar and endearing sight, they are often spotted in trees pretending to be a branch.

Perched upon timber from a storm-felled mountain ash, Tawny Frogmouth’s outer feathering comprises woven locally sourced natural fibres. Walkers exploring ngurrak barring can carefully sit inside Tawny’s ‘belly’: a tiny sanctuary for taking a moment to be still.

Before landing at Karwarra Australian Native Botanic Garden and Nursery, Tawny was initially displayed on the Sassafras Primary School Road track in 2022 as one of the inaugural temporary artworks for ngurrak barring. Tawny was also selected as a Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition finalist in 2023 and exhibited as part of the prestigious Montalto Sculpture Prize 2022, where it won the ‘Family Choice non-acquisitive award’.

Renate Crow is a socially-engaged artist who is continuously developing her relationship with local groups through her sculptural-visual practice. Renate engages community through facilitated workshops and events including the Belgrave Lantern Parade and hillsceneLIVE experimental arts festival. She aims to cultivate deeper connectedness through her creative work.

Photograph by Cathy Ronalds