Sonia Freiburg
North Sydney Girls High School
BEYOND HUMANITY
Drawing
Scratchboard, ink, pen
My body of work focuses on the underwater world as it occupies most of the earth's surface, yet is largely inaccessible to us. The creatures represented in my work thrive underwater, sometimes in complete darkness, in an environment that is alien to us. Beyond Humanity is intended to provide a glimpse into the range of weird and wonderful water-dwelling lifeforms. More broadly, the concept underlying my work is to encourage viewers to see beyond their own people-dominated lives for a moment, to disrupt their anthropocentric perspective and consider the plethora of other lifeforms on our planet.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Linda Lunnon.
Marker's Commentary
The nine drawings of Beyond Humanity depict ocean life in a series that utilise a range of drawing media and surfaces; in black, white and grey. Each drawing is a highly detailed investigation of texture, tone and the description of form on a 2D surface. The animals presented are reminiscent of botanical drawings; technically refined, carefully rendered, accurate descriptions in visual form. The seahorse exhibits confident use of loose hatching and cross hatching to develop form, character, and a sense of movement through water. The carefully considered composition leads the eye from panel to panel, directing the viewer to experience the work in a particular order. The arrangement of panels and subject matter creates synchronised movement as the viewer is taken from the ocean surface to the depths. Drawn lines boldly echo the practice of etching as the chimaera swims deeper into the ocean, beyond light in places humans could not survive aptly conveyed by the contrast of black and white tones. The technically refined series reveals a sense of beauty and appreciation for the ocean and demands that the viewer reconsider their own place in this world.