Ella McGaw
Cronulla High School
LAMENT FOR THE LOST
Drawing
Charcoal, pastel, gouache, acrylic, carbon (toner), handmade paper, foraged charcoal, earth, ash, newsprint
My body of work documents my exploration of the loss inflicted by the 2019 – 20 bushfires. My intent was to understand how this devastation of species and communities has become insignificant, layered below conflicting human narratives surrounding climate change, inaction, risk, future human and environmental needs. I pulped materials from the fires – charcoal, ash, earth, pages of research, newspaper articles – into paper, tonally recreating each area I had visited – the white of ash, black of burnt surroundings. The resulting material tangibly represented my concept, where I could see all the conflicting narratives tangled like marks left on a scribbly gum.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: William Kentridge, Janet Laurence, Martin Bell, Ildiko Kovacs.
Marker's Commentary
Lament for the Lost is a sensitive and nuanced exploration of the impact of fire on the Australian landscape and psyche. Handmade papers are layered to create a surface for expressive and evocative mark making informed by the visual and emotional aftermath of the devastation caused by bushfires. A restrained colour palette and considered materials selection aid in embedding a connection to site and enhance the conceptual intent in rich and engaging ways. The tonal gradation leads the viewer through the work on a journey of discovery, revealing the power of fire over humans, structures, and nature. This is reiterated in the text references, surface patina and delicate drawing of flora and fauna executed throughout the work. Further supporting this is a snake like line that winds through the work, referencing the lines etched into scribbly gums, but also suggesting an aerial view of a river in the landscape or perhaps a journey through our memory and experience of the landscape before and after the fire.