Jewish artist’s prehistoric panorama
Family-friendly exhibition proudly presented by Bayside Gallery at Brighton Town Hall.
Local artist Zev Landes has created artworks for Bayside Council’s Prehistoric Bayside and collaborated with the exhibition design.
He was approached by palaeontologist Ben Francischelli, who has curated a family-friendly exhibition proudly presented by Bayside Gallery at Brighton Town Hall.
As a little kid, Landes loved dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures, but only recently did he find out Port Phillip Bay is home to some of the best prehistoric fossils in the world.
“Part of the journey was to learn about the animals I was recreating. Ben took me snorkelling for fossils at Black Rock where we were finding prehistoric whale fossils in one-metre-deep water,” Landes said.
“It’s a difficult time for our community at the moment, particularly working as an artist. So, it has been an amazing experience to contribute to something positive, that sparks the imagination, no matter who you are or how old you are, and that connects us all.”
Landes’ contribution to the exhibition includes a life-sized recreation of the largest bird to have ever existed, a shark over five metres long, and a full cartoon panorama showcasing what life in this part of Melbourne would have looked like five to six million years ago.
The Bayside area is home to one of the most important fossil areas of Australia, dating back roughly 5-6 million years, according to the exhibition’s website.
“From giant killer sperm whales that ate other whales, to monstrous sharks half as long as a basketball court, Prehistoric Bayside showcases the tumultuous lives of these bizarre beasts, displaying this groundbreaking fossil material for the first time.
“These fossils were found with the help of numerous citizen scientists, whose contributions are helping us piece together this ancient landscape, one bone at a time.”
“Curating this exhibition has been a huge collaborative effort involving other palaeontologists, artists, teachers, technicians, and of course Bayside Gallery to achieve results that simply beggar belief,” Francischelli said.
Fossils discovered around Bayside provide critical evidence for understanding the evolution of numerous animal groups, especially sharks and whales.
This ground-breaking material is on public display for the first time.
“These fossils document the progression of Australian life at a critical stage in Earth’s history between two major geological periods, helping us understand the mechanisms of evolutionary change,” Francischelli said.
Supporting the free exhibition will be a series of talks by palaeontologists, a range of school holiday activities and free events.
A fossils roadshow will be held for visitors to share and learn about fossil findings.
Come along and find out how to become a citizen scientist and contribute to the ongoing journey of discovery.
The Prehistoric Bayside exhibition is at Bayside Gallery, corner of Wilson and Carpenter Street, Brighton from June 29 to August 25, Wednesday to Friday 11am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Free admission.
For more information visit bayside.vic.gov.au/services/arts-and-culture/prehistoric-bayside
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