womb
an ode to the landscape that echoes the beat of my heart - and to Ana Mendieta.
In working so deeply with the landscape, trying to depict the relationship we share, I felt turmoil around the representation of it. Is it fair for me - a person, who actively benefits from colonisation - to represent the landscape? I struggled to find the right way to do this, but inevitably, it’s only the landscape that can represent itself.
In bringing a sample landscape into the white box gallery, I was able to create the environment for it to represent itself. My accompanying works from, reach into the soil, the artist book and framed contact prints, create a context that fosters reciprocity.
The plants were watered and loved during their time in the gallery. The spiders that found themselves temporarily in a new home, made beautiful webs in the plants. In taking the plants back to the landscape they were taken from, rerooting the plants and watering them again, they had stories to tell the others.
Nature is so resilient.
2022.
Pictured collecting the plants and dirt from the site, to install in the gallery space. You can see from the wider shots the landscape is completely consumed by these introduced species. All plants - and spiders that came along for the ride - were returned to the land.
reach into the soil featured in once more; with fluidity
This body of work, including reach into the soil: settler colonial trauma and reciprocity with the land, and reach into the soil (contact prints) were included in the group photographic exhibition once more; with fluidity. Held at Twentysix Gallery in late 2022.