Landscape

My work is about disappearing landscape and altered dreams.
Growing up in East Gippsland I spent a lot of time in coastal scrub. Much of this land was destroyed by fire in 2019.

I found myself painting from memory and from old black and white photos. When it was possible to return I discovered that the bush I had known all my life was gone. What is regenerating now in its place is very different.

My exploration of this altered landscape gave rise to a series of modular canvasses that stand alone or can be configured into differing views.

From initially looking for pathways into the bush, my recent work has become less anchored in time and space. The floating landscapes are more like journeys through places I have experienced rather than scenic views. In this way they revoke the sense of ownership that often attends looking at a landscape.

From my ongoing interest in Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese therapy of ‘Forest Bathing’ I have also created a series of smaller works painted mainly on board which are intended as windows into nature.