Beaudesert, QLD | 2023

Paper

The Centre, Beaudesert. 9 Jan -11 March 2023

Paper is an often overlooked, undervalued material which can be embedded with meaning. This series of artworks are paper narratives, stories that form both desert and flood narratives of human and non human habitation. They reference the ‘mend and make do’ attitude fostered in remote areas and by the necessity of survival and resilience in the face of climate change.

Many of the works in this exhibition were created as my artistic responses to an artist residency in Central Australia at the Curtin Springs Station in 2019 together with new artworks created as a response to the floods in February 2022. Both are paper narratives of time, place and resilience.

Material thinking

My series of “occupy” artworks incorporate rust and cyanotype markings collaged with ‘found’ farm objects to form a desert narrative of human and non human habitation. They reference the ‘mend and make do’ attitude fostered in remote areas and by our not so distant ancestors, especially my matrilineal lineage of mother, grandmother and great aunts.

I explore these themes through stitched interconnections, inclusions and papers embedded with the materials and spirit of resilience.  

Crisis, What Crisis?

Hessian sandbags were used to protect our home during the February 2022 floods. The sandbags were first emptied, washed, then dipped in cotton paper pulp. Canvas was rusted and marked with ink to reference the disastrous NSW bushfires of 2019/2020.

The work is framed on a traditional papermakers frame or mould used in eastern style (dried on the frame) papermaking.

Scorcher

Hessian sandbags were used to protect our home during the February 2022 floods. The sandbags were first emptied, washed, then dipped in cotton paper pulp. Additional papers were rusted. A cyanotype process was also used to create the (vintage) blue effect. 

Together these reference the domestic laundry work of women as well as increased summer temperatures. The work is framed on a traditional papermakers frame or mould used in eastern style (dried on the frame) papermaking.