Abstract
A series of works included in The Cries from the Anthropocene exhibition at H.R.Gallop gallery, Wagga Wagga; and The Chapel, Canberra.
The climate crisis is already here, and many institutions worldwide are sharing their statistics about the dilemmas humans are creating in the environment.
These works were created whilst on an Arts residency on Hrisey Island in Iceland. Icelanders in particular are witnessing the faster shrinkage of the glaciers and unseasonable weather changes. My intention was to work specifically with cyanotypes as the melancholy "blueprint" seems to lend itself to being in Iceland, near the Arctic circle, where species are endangered, and the pole is diminishing.
On my way to the residency, I came across a newspaper publication - newspapers are almost a thing of the past, and I have created several works over a decade ago that were 'dada poetry' and a 'dada installation' made from headlines from newspapers and magazines. Dada artists from the 20th century were anti-establishment and used nonsense and accidents in their works. Some of the headlines from this particular Icelandic publication spoke directly to the thoughts many of us are having about the climate crisis, and I felt they needed to be included in the collaged works.
I also tried out some dyes that I thought might give me other colours to work with beyond the blue, however I ended up with bleak landscapes. The lacy material, which I had explained to me as "wedding Dres fabric" is included to highlight the patriarchy in society and politics that has led to many of the critical situations the world now finds itself in.
There are found objects on each work - all represent the rubbish that turns up in our seas, beaches, mountains of landfill, and so on.
The climate crisis is already here, and many institutions worldwide are sharing their statistics about the dilemmas humans are creating in the environment.
These works were created whilst on an Arts residency on Hrisey Island in Iceland. Icelanders in particular are witnessing the faster shrinkage of the glaciers and unseasonable weather changes. My intention was to work specifically with cyanotypes as the melancholy "blueprint" seems to lend itself to being in Iceland, near the Arctic circle, where species are endangered, and the pole is diminishing.
On my way to the residency, I came across a newspaper publication - newspapers are almost a thing of the past, and I have created several works over a decade ago that were 'dada poetry' and a 'dada installation' made from headlines from newspapers and magazines. Dada artists from the 20th century were anti-establishment and used nonsense and accidents in their works. Some of the headlines from this particular Icelandic publication spoke directly to the thoughts many of us are having about the climate crisis, and I felt they needed to be included in the collaged works.
I also tried out some dyes that I thought might give me other colours to work with beyond the blue, however I ended up with bleak landscapes. The lacy material, which I had explained to me as "wedding Dres fabric" is included to highlight the patriarchy in society and politics that has led to many of the critical situations the world now finds itself in.
There are found objects on each work - all represent the rubbish that turns up in our seas, beaches, mountains of landfill, and so on.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Wagga Wagga |
| Publisher | HR Gallop Gallery, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia |
| Media of output | Artwork |
| Size | 13 x 30cm x 30cm multi-media collages |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
