DAVIS 1990.497

Julia Davis carved Crocodile heart from ironbark using a chainsaw. This eucalyptus hardwood is known for its density and heaviness, requiring strength and precision to carve. Throughout her career, Davis has been drawn to materials that show traces of weathering and transformation – each scarred notch in Crocodile heart reflects the artist’s gesture with the saw. Fittingly, this work represents a turning point in Davis’s practice, being from the last series of sculptures to which she applied colour.

Describing her choice of subject, Davis states:

The crocodile heart has the ability to close off a valve, stopping blood from flowing to the lungs, allowing the animal to remain submerged for many hours. The process of making – of using my body in an active, intuitive way – becomes a similar deep dive.