Artist: Dave Jones
Year: 2021
Location: The Lakes Reserve, Taylors Lakes
‘Eel Dance’ located in the middle of Taylors Lake at The Lakes Reserve, is a sculptural work made by artist, Dave Jones.
The sculpture portrays short-finned eels, a species native to Taylors Lakes that was a significant food source for the traditional inhabitants of the area. The work, aims to highlight the under-appreciated species and celebrate the vibrant ecosystem of the lake.
By day, the stainless steel sculpture reflects the environment. By night, solar-powered neon lights illuminate the space, casting mesmerising reflections across the water, appearing as though the eels are swimming beneath the lake's surface.
The lights run for four hours each evening, turning on automatically at nightfall.
About Dave Jones
Dave Jones, based in regional Victoria, has been a practicing artist in the field of animation/projection and installation art for more than 20 years and won awards for his work both nationally and internationally.
As well as his own personal and commercial work, Dave has an extensive community-arts practice working with community groups across Australia and international to create award winning film, theatre and sculptural works. Through his ongoing ‘In My Day’, series Dave has sought to revitalize the oral history of Australia, working with children across the country to re- envision the stories told by older members of their own communities. Films from this series have won awards at both Melbourne International Film Festival and Melbourne Animation Festival.
Over the course of his career, Dave has developed a reputation for his work in the rapidly evolving fields of interactive installation and digital theatre (integrating interactive real-time visuals into live performance) often working with aerial performers in large-scale outdoor public events and in 2013 Dave received a Creative Australia Fellowship from the Australia Council to continue this exploration.
Dave has also established himself in the public art sphere, bringing his unique design sensibilities and digital theatre techniques to create a suite of inventive and interactive artworks.
In 2018 his work ‘Seal’ was installed as the key sculptural commission in Warrnambool (Vic) while his work ‘Anamorphic Resonance’ in Leeton (NSW) celebrated the vision of architect Walter Burley Griffin.