Creating Art with Empathy for the Non-Human World
How a Tasmanian artist works with scientists to save critically endangered marine species along the GSR
Jane Bamford
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.
Ceramic Razorfish by Jane BamfordGreat Southern Reef Foundation
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.
Ceramic Razorfish by Jane BamfordGreat Southern Reef Foundation
Beyond aesthetics, she hopes that her work prompts dialogue about both the beauty and fragility of the interconnections along the Great Southern Reef.
Spotted Handfish Artificial Spawning Habitat (ASH) by Jane BamfordGreat Southern Reef Foundation
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.
Spotted Handfish
The spotted handfish was the first marine fish to be listed as critically endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 1996, and still remains on the list to this day.
Spotted Handfish by Stefan AndrewsOriginal Source: @ocean_imaging
They are colourful, small, slow-moving fish that 'walk' along the riverbed. Adults are around 7–9 cm long in size and are endemic to south-east Tasmania, Australia. To reproduce, they attach clusters of eggs to structures such as the stalks of kelp and seagrass.
Ceramic Artificial Spawning Habitat by Jane BamfordGreat Southern Reef Foundation
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.
Spotted Handfish Artificial Spawning Habitat (ASH) by Jane BamfordGreat Southern Reef Foundation
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.
Spotted Handfish, artificial spawning habitat and north pacific seastar by Kingsley GriffinGreat Southern Reef Foundation
An invasive predator
The most urgent matter concerning their survival is the threat posed by an introduced species, the Northern Pacific Seastar (Asterias amurens). These sea stars prey on the sea tulips (stalked ascidians) on which the fish lay their eggs on.
"I see artists as being uniquely placed to transform conversations around species extinction and translate this into action."
Tasmanian artist helps save a species: spotted handfishGreat Southern Reef Foundation
Spotted Handfish by Stefan AndrewsOriginal Source: @ocean_imaging
Populations have stablised
5000 ceramic artificial spawning habitats have now been distributed across known species sites and the population has been reported to “stabilise”. In 2019 Bamford, Lynch and team (including Alex Hormann and Tim Fountain were awarded for their 'design for impact' work.
"As a result of this cross industry collaboration with science, art, design and the conservation sector, I have developed an arts practice that is a response to research and functionality."
Ceramic Razorfish by Jane BamfordGreat Southern Reef Foundation
Ongoing impact
This project has given Jane the opportunity to combine her ceramic art practice for more positive environmental conservation outcomes.
Ceramic Razorfish by Jane BamfordGreat Southern Reef Foundation
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).
Ceramic Razorfish by Jane BamfordGreat Southern Reef Foundation
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.
Ceramic Razorfish by Jane BamfordGreat Southern Reef Foundation
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.
Jane’s handmade ceramic forms are created from different clay bodies, resulting in different textures and chemical compositions.
Trialling these different clays may identify a preferred substrate mineral composition for KI’s native oysters.
Clay is an ideal material, being of the earth, non-polluting, negatively buoyant and bio-secure once fired.
Ceramic Little Penguin Nesting Module Project
Little penguin colonies are currently experiencing a range of pressures including loss of nesting habitat, predation and depleting food sources.
The colony on Kangaroo Island is experiencing heat stress in their current burrows, particularly during their moult season.
Jane designed these modules adding ventilation holes sited to capture prevailing winds and sea breezes. Sand ladders were created to prevent predators from digging into the entrance to gain access, and inspection lids were added for ease of survey by scientists.
Visit Jane Bamford’s website, follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
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