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| Crossing the Saltpan (2014) (Detail 1) |
Crossing the Saltpan (2014) (Detail 2) |
Crossing the Saltpan (2014) (Detail 3) |
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The creative process:
"I begin with the basic paper base, to which I apply many washes until I have a satisfactory resonance of colours and tonal gradations. I pre- prepare a lot of different paper with a variety of colours, tones, textures etc. Every shape, from the biggest to the smallest, is drawn on draughting film, transferred to the pre-prepared paper, cut out and stuck to the composition with blutack. Sometimes it is then moved, modified or discarded. When I'm satisfied the composition is the way I want it, I then spend a few days doing the final paste down. When it is all secure I apply finishing touches. The whole process is very time consuming." Other photos of works in progress can be seen on Joadja (2010), The Road to Gundagai (2012), and Near Wagga (2013).
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Notes:
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The work:
This work combines a lot of things that interest me about the Australian landscape: the huge distances, the aridity of the interior, 19th C European exploration, attempts to farm in such a hostile environment, the resilience of early settlers, the tenacity of plants and animals to survive, the importance of camels to inland transport and settlement. There is always a delicate balance
between the desire to exploit and prosper and the responsibility of maintaining a fragile environment. In this work I have tried to set up a tension between the harsh
emptiness of the left side of the painting and the populated right side. The
bees are a pictorial device to add interest and movement to the work but
bees are also a strong indicator of the health of the planet.
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