Core Samples of Deep Time

Core Samples of Deep Time, 2002.  Stoneware, discarded metal geological core sample trays, stained with refined gold ore from the Cadia Gold Mine, Australia. 40″ h x 40″ w.  Sold.

The piece represents a geological timeline including precambrian rocks, paleozoic fossils, kangaroo footprints, and arrival of Europeans.

This piece was made while Marty Huehner was a Visiting Artist in Residence at the National Institute of the Arts, Australian National University.  He participated in Mandy Martin’s  Land$cape: Gold & Water Project that examined the cultural, natural resource, and economic impacts of the Cadia Gold Mine.  A satellite view of the mine is below.  From top to bottom, the massive mine pit measures 1.3 kilometers or 0.8 mile.