In Sandstone 1 and Sandstone 2, William Versace ground pigment from various rocks, ochres and sandstone in Kamay by hand. Using an old Italian plasterwork technique, scagliola, he mixed the pigments to create a dough and abstractly emulated the rock forms of sandstone, including cracks and crevices. The technique of scagliola is historically used to imitate stone such as marble and alabaster in churches and other architecture. The pigment tablets are an embodiment and articulation of the colours of the earth passing through his Italian ancestry.

The cast bronze frame is made by a process called lost wax casting which involves the artist creating a sculpture of hot wax. William used sea lettuce, dipping into hot wax to create the cast before the mould is made and bronze is cast.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands – Kamay, more specifically, Bunnabi, the north headland of Botany Bay, on Gadigal land. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and we celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples and their ongoing cultures and connections to the lands and waters of NSW.

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