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Catching ... the Harbour was a temporary exhibition at the Australian Museum from 21 July to 2 December 2001.
The Harbour has become emblematic of Sydney and the Australian identity. Like the great squares of European cities, the Harbour connects different areas and acts as a setting for festivities with the public lining its edges. The sense of the Harbour as a plaza to the city distracts our attention from its complex layers of Aboriginal history; its underwater habitats and diverse fish life.
Catching ... the Harbour expresses varied responses to the subject of Sydney Harbour and conveys the practices of different disciplines. This exhibition is the result of a collaborative process involving Australian Museum scientist, Dr Val Attenbrow, an archaeologist; artist, Robyn Backen; Australian Museum marine biologist, Brooke Carson-Ewart and the project's co-ordinator, John Kirkman who offers a modern social interpretation.
In forgetting the division between art and science, Catching ...the Harbour recalls the origins of the modern museum in private collections during the Renaissance period, which combined art with natural specimens. This exhibition permits a renewed exchange between these disciplines, united by their common language of observing and investigating nature and human experience. It suggests perceptions which may inhabit the regions between the apparent disparate practices of science and art.
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Fan-Belly Leatherjacket
Monacanthus chinensis
Large-Tooth Flounder
Pseudorhombus arsius
Orange- Line Wrasse
Halichoeres hartzfeldi
Images above from: Pieter Bleeker. Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néerlandaises. 9 vols. Amsterdam, 1862-1878. From the collection of the Australian Museum Research Library
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