Elizabeth Hayman
Ravenswood School for Girls
SCORCHED: BLACK COUNTRY
Drawing
charcoal on paper
After seeing the effects that the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires of late 2019 to early 2020 had on the natural Australian landscape, I felt compelled to explore this event. Through an abstracted style, placing particular attention on the blackened tones and scorched texture of the land, my intent was to evoke a mood of reflection in the audience. I worked with charcoal on paper, using actual charcoal gathered from burnt sites to highlight the physical and conceptual materiality of the medium.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Tracey Maroni.
Marker's Commentary
Scorched: Black Country is a subtle and emotive exploration of the landscape in the wake of the devastating 2019 bush fires. Sophisticated curatorial practice is evident in the arrangement of the torn fragments of the landscape. Sensitive layering and handling of the charcoal is evident throughout, creating a subtle suggestion of a horizon line and evoking a memory of disaster. The absence of recognisable life syntheses with the restrained colour pallet to engulf the audience in the drama of the experience. The use of charcoal as the drawing material as a product of fire itself, on the torn fragments of paper - a product of the trees, further embeds the relationship between the fires and the landscape.