MY DAD BEFORE ME

My artwork titled My Dad Before Me, replicates the vibrancy of the Pilbara landscape in which my Dad was surrounded amongst for three years in his early twenties working as a geologist. The principle elements taken from my Dad’s film camera photos during these years have been recreated through watercolour segments of my Dad’s life before me.

My Body of Work consists of watercolour paintings from geological sites Pannawonica and Bungaroo Creek, creating snapshots of his geology experience using watercolour gouache on ivory wore paper as well as an ink stamp. The stamp was used to document like the results from the core trays onto the work to tie the panorama together. I took inspiration from Australian artist Albert Namatjira and German artist Hans Heysen, both skilled in watercolours who captured the Australian landscape which I embedded in my own work, taking inspiration from the lighting and shadows that the natural environment captures.

My work expresses a personal connection to the experience of my Dad before me and how it differs to my own life.

LOVE OF SELF, LOVE OF ANOTHER

My artwork explores marriage in relation to rings and ring indentations, the two green photographs represent individuals newly divorced. The hands positioned with their hands open palmed represents the individual being trusting and open, ready for self-growth and renewal, which is represented by the green.

The ring finger being slightly lower than the rest of the hand represents the change the individual feels by no longer wearing a wedding ring. The green images are a slight juxtaposition as divorce is usually seen as a negative experience, however, in my artwork a more positive side to divorce is shows, where self-growth and renewal occurs.

The two blue photographs represent individuals that are married. The hand is positioned to not show the palm to portray the privacy of marriage and how individuals can be miserable in marriage - this is represented by the blue colours. This can also be a juxtaposition as marriage is usually seen to be positive.

The single red images represent an individual which is yet to marry. The red represents trust and loyalty to the individual’s self. I used an older hand for this photograph as it’s commonly thought that elder individuals need to be married to be happy.

The powder in all the photographs represents a sudden influx of emotions at various points that individuals experience.

PROSPERITY WILL PREVAIL

2 Chronicles 7:13-15
13Whenever I hold back the rain
or send locusts to eat up the crops
or send an epidemic on my people,
14if they pray to me and repent
and turn away from the evil they have
been doing, then I will hear them in
heaven, forgive their sins, and make
their land prosperous again.

Prosperity Will Prevail is a Body of Work that alludes to and explores the underlying messages within the Bible verse, 2 Chronicles 7:13-15. The Bible passage directly relates to current world issues. Therefore, I have used it as a prompt and an inspiration for my triptych.

It relates to the Australian bushfires, East African locust infestation and the Coronavirus pandemic, focusing on Italy. These three paintings target the concealed teachings that ‘we have done this before’, ‘we will get through this’ and ‘together we can make our land prosperous again’.

Viewing the Body of Work closed provides the audience with the positive message. Opening the Body of Work shows the stark and blunt reality that these issues have had on our community. The subtle hints of human existence evident in each panel show how detrimental these times are to humanity and how it has completely shifted the way we live. However, we must have hope and believe that prosperity will prevail.

FAMILY TREE (i.e. THE RELOS)

In my Body of work, Family Tree (i.e. The Relos), I endeavoured to explore the ability of the natural world to mirror the human experience of familial relationships. The grey hues are representative of the neutrality and balance that prevails in the bush, despite imperfections and miscommunications. The tired longingness expressed through the eyes reflects the desires of the trees to be elsewhere, but their roots physically and emotionally hold them back.

The appropriation of Reg Mombassa’s Eye Gum utilises the recognisable form of the Australian gumtree to resonate with audiences.

The titles of the vases also allude to famous Australian music by Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly and Cold Chisel. The common ‘Aussie’ culture, stereotypical family figures and human experiences explored show a typical family tree from the land Down Under.

HER BEAUTY AND HER TERROR

My artwork is displayed as a branch hanging from the ceiling with drawings and photos hanging from it. My work is titled Her Beauty and Her Terror, the name itself taken from the famous Dorothea Mackellar. The subject matter of my artwork surrounds the bushfires from late 2019 into early 2020 and how they personally affected me.

My artwork is made from a tree branch that I recovered when the storms started to sweep through after the fire season ended. I used engraving tools to etch the words into the wood. I made my own paper backdrop and tie dye fabric for the backdrop to my portrait. I also put my photoshopping skills to use by making the photos that I had look more contemporary and to make polaroids using photos taken from when I was young with articles of the Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian as a backdrop.

The inspirations for my work were the Dorothea Mackellar poem My Country as well as the works of Alexander Calder for how to display my Body of Work and Andy Goldsworthy for his work on environmental installations.

The photos displayed are of places that hold a significant amount of sentiment and meaning to me, and with the combined expression of my own portrait, I hope to express the emotion of fear, sadness and sympathy.

My end presentation was nowhere near my original idea at the beginning of this journey. I am proud of how far I have come and how developed my ideas became over time.

CAMPBELL PARADE AT 2PM

My Body of Work Campbell Parade at 2pm is a collection of digital drawings that are a tribute to the iconic shared experience of the Aussie summer and focuses specifically on Australia’s infamous Bondi Beach.

The dominant image in the middle is an appropriation of John Brack’s 1955 work Collins St 5pm. The original work presents dull colours and repetitive figures to represent the end of the 9-5 working day, however, in my appropriation I have inverted this concept through my introduction of bright, bold colours, individuality and modern development which together symbolise the main street of Bondi - Campbell Parade. This approach reflects the change in Australian culture and encapsulates the movement, multiculturalism and excitement associated with the experience of the modern day Australian Summer.

The foundations of the Body of Work is made of playful irony - we all wish to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and work life only to then travel and relax at busy tourist destinations that mirror the same chaos.

The digital works that line the side of the dominant work are depictions of ‘stereotypical’ summer activities that when together encapsulate the archetype of a day in Australia. This notion is further affirmed by the appropriations amongst these works which were inspired by infamous Australian artists Max Dupain, Charles Meer and Zahalka.

BRAIN BOX

Brain Box is a self-portrait that goes beyond my physical appearance, focusing on the characteristics that create my personality. There are several ideas present throughout the artwork expressing how I view myself.

The character featured in the box and animations is my anxiety personified, based on my personal thoughts of how my anxiety and fear makes up a great deal, or controls aspects of, my personality.

Another prominent idea is the conflict I have between my Chinese and Australian identity as well as my disconnection from my Chinese culture. These are not the sole meanings of the artwork as there are hidden, secondary meanings for the audience to interpret and relate to themselves.

As my school experience comes to an end, I realise the influence it has had on myself. The audience is invited to be put in the position of a student and sit at the school desk.