In this performance, projection and installation, artist Lauren Brincat attempts to valiantly harness the power of the sun, reflecting its energy and warmth back towards the viewer. This double-act of reflection is performed using a crash cymbal from a drum kit. The artist uses the cymbal to obscure her face and, in the process, transforms into a mythical symbol for the sun itself. As she harnesses the sun’s rays, the solar glow of the cymbal against the backdrop of the drought-stricken landscape highlights a harsh reality. Standing atop a water tank in a paddock, the ‘sunburnt country’ becomes an integral part of the performance. Reminiscent of a traditional Australian landscape painting, the stillness in the video highlights the subtle colour changes of the landscape as the sun sets.

Installed in a cavernous underground chamber beneath Federation Square, Shine on You Crazy Diamond envelops the audience in this act of reflection. As the sun reflects off Brincat’s cymbal, the screen appears to project its own light into the chamber, bathing the audience in a brilliant, visceral glow.

Shine on You Crazy Diamond closed with a one-off live, collaborative performance by Lauren Brincat and percussionist Bree van Ryk.

Supporters: MONA, Federation Square, The Keir Foundation, Australia Council for the Arts

Shine on You Crazy Diamond was co-commissioned by Next Wave and the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). It was first presented at MONA FOMA in Hobart, in January 2010.