ARTEXPRESS 2019 – Student interviews

Drought has devastating consequences for farmers and landowners, causing intense psychological trauma. During the development of this body of work my home, ‘Kayrunnera Station’ (north-west Broken Hill), has experienced the second worst drought in 18 years. The hardship my parents endure in running our station affected my work. However, while drought is devastating for a period, hard times must come to an end and the smaller drawings remind the audience that the barren land wasn’t always so tough, and will rejuvenate. The dull blues and browns capture the mindset of a struggling farmer as well as the land’s visual properties.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Frederick McCubbin, Annie Hughes.

The Reading is a literal representation of the adage, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. It highlights how young people are influenced by the narcissistic nature of modern society and social media to judge someone’s attire or presentation and neglect what is ‘behind the cover’. Through the process of photographing, removing the identity, and painting what remains of the individuals on each cover, I draw the viewer’s focus to their appearance, inviting them to investigate each personality elsewhere in the artwork. The rest of the work is full of symbolism and truths about identity and character.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Michael Zavros, 16th century still life works.