Marker's Commentary

These painterly and playful images of Australia’s natural landscape have been painted on raw linen in a semi-naïve style. Representing both frontal and aerial perspectives, they are symbolic of an ancient and Indigenous world. Icons of well-known Australian native fauna punctuate the panels with the shifting scale of the subjects and the sunny colour scheme contributing to an illustrative effect. The warm palette reflects the terrain and evocative stains and merging colours capture the different qualities of the Australian light on the landscape. Each of the six panels is connected through shape and image, colour and technique and a lyrical sense of movement prevails. Elements of settlement, seen through the outbuildings, fences and windmill have been integrated seamlessly into this national portrait. Animals and forms float on the painting’s surface conjuring folkloric tale of cycles of life and changing seasons. Yet the evocation of summer heat with the ominous threat of bush fires sweeping the land reminds us of our recent cataclysmic past. This evocation of our dry interior and sparkling coastline creates a dynamic of sensory opposites reminding us of the ever-changing power of nature and climate on the land. While the narrative may appear fictional it is grounded in the land we know with a spiritual peace and sense of harmony, inspiring the viewer with curiosity and wonder.