The Landmark Works
These works are divided into two parts - one series of natural "survivors" or icons, and another of man-made monuments that don't have quite the same enduring qualities. The natural landmarks - landforms, rocks or trees that have stood the test of time are some of my favourite painting subjects, they are sentinels, primordial and timeless. I see them as spiritual guardians, witness to what has been, reminding us of our past, and that no matter how Man tries to dominate and control the environment, Nature will always prevail.
The old “survivor” trees are battered and ravaged by wind and possums, but they survive and persist. The rocks look timeworn and crumbling, giving a sense of timelessness, of eternal renewal. The man-made landmarks - abandoned buildings and rusty machinery - stand as monuments to previous generations who tamed and nurtured the land. They are relics that are constant reminders of our own recent history.
Although these landscapes are very real, there is a manipulation of the elements within the paintings. I am always interested in the way we try to shape the landscape to suit our own needs, and in a way am doing just that with these pantings - using buildings and landforms as references to create a new perfected landscape. In my work I want to capture a sense of place, but it is not any specific place - viewers can recognize elements of a scene, but cannot pinpoint the exact location. In creating this altered landscape the abstract structures are fundamental to it's success, and I pay particular attention to the composition and form. I try to capture the effects of man's subjugation of the land, and the constant struggle to tame the chaos of nature.
