JANE BAMFORD: SAVING A SPECIES
Inspired by elements and textures from the coastal, and underwater environments in Tasmania, Jane Bamford is a ceramic artist with a passion for marine conservation.
Art with impact
Bamford’s natural curiosity and connection to her local environment has led her to produce different series of work that address specific issues such as, how climate change has impacted the Tasmanian marine environment.
Beyond aesthetics, she hopes that her work prompts dialogue about both the beauty and fragility of the interconnections of Tasmania’s local environment.
Collaborating for a cause
Exhibited both nationally and internationally, Jane Bamford began studying ceramics in Japan in 1993 and creates her pieces over a range of different ceramic processes including slab formed, hand built, slip cast and weaving.
Since 2018, Jane has used her time in artist residency programs and for a commission for CSIRO to produce ceramic artificial spawning habitats (ASH) to specifically support the critically endangered spotted handfish.
Artificial spawning habitats
Over the past decades cumulative threats including the invasion of the North Pacific Seastar and scallop dredge fisheries led to the extensive destruction of a huge portion of the spotted handfish’s egg laying habitat.
Made from fine white porcelain, the ceramic spires mimic the stalked ascidians (sometimes called sea tulips) that the spotted handfish would normally lay their egg mass around.
Image: CSIRO 2021 Photo Peter Whyte.
“I see artists as being uniquely placed to transform conversations around species extinction and translate this into action.”
Populations have stablised
5000 ceramic artificial spawning habitats have now been distributed across the known spotted handfish sites and the population has been reported to “stabilise”. In 2019 Bamford, Lynch and team (including Alex Horman and Tim Foundation) were recognised for their work with the artificial spawning habitats and awarded the design for impact award at the Tasmanian design awards.
Ongoing impact
This project has given Jane the opportunity to combine her ceramic art practice for positive environmental conservation outcomes, which has led to her current collaboration with expert researchers across Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia to design ceramic little penguin nesting modules to place into native habitat areas. The first planned installation site for the experimental modules is at Emu Bay on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island.
Image: Peter Whyte
Visit Jane Bamford’s website, follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Ceramic Razorfish for Oyster Reef Rehabilitation
In 2021 Jane was approached by Paul Jennings of the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board (KILB) to explore the possibility of creating ceramic forms as a substrate, or a place to grow native flat oysters (Ostrea angasi).
A structurally sound species
Razorfish are an important structural element found in coastal waters around KI. Their large structure provide habitat for a myriad of marine life, including angasi oysters.
This relationship is extremely important on KI and around South Australia as there are so few suitable habitats left where native oysters are found.
Oyster larvae are attracted to substrates rich in calcium, like their own shells, which helps them aggregate and combine with other shellfish to form large reefs.
