time in thin places

Solo show 2024
Boom Gallery, Geelong

view available works through Boom Gallery here

time in thin places

Time In Thin Places explores memories of moments in nature I have experienced in awe; translating the landscape into a dream-like and spiritual place, imbuing my work with a symbolic narrative that speaks to a deeper meaning.

‘Thin Places’ reveal themselves in moments of solitude, when the feeling of awe is profound, when the veil between worlds feels porous, where there is mystery in the landscape and nature, where time past - reaches out in the present.

I am constantly inspired by the landscapes that shape my life experience; in particular lutruwita /Tasmania and Wadadwurrung Country
/ Surf Coast, Victoria; spending time immersed in these places allows me to pay close attention to their unique nature and to connect with the natural rhythms and energies of the environment.

Being quiet and present in the landscape gives me the opportunity to observe the chance moments nature throws; the awe inspiring sunrise and sunsets, in the deep of night the bioluminescence dancing on the Tasman Sea, the full moon and ethereal sun bleached days.  In awe, I marvel at constant landmarks found in my times here; the reefs, familiar rock formations, headlands I know by heart, the mystery of deep rock pools, drifts of shells that hug the east coastline and reefs of lutruwita, vast sand dunes, the lush bush alive with native bees and butterflies; the winding paths that take me through these once wild places.

Through drawing and painting I observe the strange nature of memory, the exaggeration of moments and the
punctuation of certain elements experienced in the landscape to create a new reality…re-imagining these moments on canvas is a bridge to my lived experiences, my dreams, and the awe of those moments where the veil between worlds is thin, and ultimately an expression of hope for our earth.

Through my practice I find context using the landscape as a metaphor for our fragile earth, the devastation of climate change in Athropocene; I fascinated with the concepts of time, deep time, awe, the spiritual concept of thin places, and the human and instinctive need to connect to natural environments, belong and seek hope and awe.

Time in Thin Places delves into the realms of spirituality, seeking to unravel the mysteries that lie
beyond our everyday existence. Through my work I seek to capture the essence of awe found in profound fleeting moments, the beauty
and ephemeral nature inherent in the continuous unfolding of time. Through symbolic marks reflecting the stars, the fleeting cloud of butterflies, the drifts of shells and swarms of native bees in summer, I strive to echo the inter connectedness of all temporal dimensions.

‘Time, as we know it, is the original shapeshifter. Now the line of it runs straight as an old railway track; now it is a circle - many circles, in fact. Now it dances without moving - to and fro across millennia - around the whole turning world, filling the night sky with bounding green lights. Past, future, present; the unbidden, in ineffable gift of it all. Memory is like a white moth in flight. Sometimes she comes so
close that we can see the light falling into the hidden parts of ancient markings. On other days we cannot see her, but we feel the delicate wing-beat down deep, in beside our bones.’
Kerri Ni Dochartaigh  Thin Places 

“Time isn’t deep, it is always already all around us. The past ghosts us, lies all about us less as layers, more as drift” quote from Underland by Robert Macfarlane ‘A deep time journey’

Throughout my work I explore the concept of deep time, reflecting on the ways in which landscapes have been shaped and reshaped over millennia. Translating these reflections onto canvas, I try to capture the essence of time as an ever-present force, surrounding us from all directions, aiming to evoke the sense of drifting, mirroring the shells’ journey along the shoreline. Using intricate brush strokes to represent the shells juxtaposed against the broad brush work, watery chance atmospheres, and bold color choices I paint to create the landscapes.
When mark making, painting shells, it is akin to a meditative process; I contemplates the concept that time drifts, while deep, it is ever present through the profoundly beautiful landscapes I encounter, drawing inspiration from Macfarlane’s quote;  specifically, I reflect on the vast sand dunes and drifts of shells that generously weave along the East Coast of lutruwita (Tasmania), and how they represent time in motion, they move and shift with the tides, slowly yet surely turning over time into sand, they represent the constant of life and death and rebirth, evolution ... time, constant and moving... drifting.

‘Counting shells as they turn to sand, under a sea of infinite suns - time drifts, here on earth, evaporating into the universe.’

I would like to acknowledge and pay my respects to all Tasmanian Aboriginal people; the Traditional Owners of
lutruwita (Tasmania) and recognise the palawa continuing connection to Land, Sea, Waterways, Sky and Culture.
I honour and pay my deepest respect to Elders, past and present, whose memories, knowledge, hopes and wisdom has and will ensure the continuation of culture and traditional practices of Aboriginal Tasmania.

I also acknowledge and pay my respects to the Wadawurrung People, the Traditional Owners of the skies, land,
waters and sea country of Wadawurrung Country. I honour and pay my deepest respect to their Elders past, present whose memories, knowledge, hopes and wisdom has and will ensure the continuation of culture and traditional practices of their community.