sea dragon

‘World in a box’ paintings

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In 2010 I undertook a painting project to produce a series of images. The images were based on representation of organic materials (e.g., dried lotus seed heads, decaying pomegranates, a dried sea dragon and a Nautilus shell). Of these, the lotus seed heads and pomegranates also symbolise the Silk Road, as these items were exchanged between China and Europe via the Silk Road).

Many of these images were set in or on top of a box, which relates to the traditional staging of unusual objects in a diorama setting in museums. Museums were once the key way for people to experience new information. However the box used was actually an iPad box, adding in the symbolism of the ubiquitous nature of information availability- anywhere, anytime via mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad. Curiously, Silk Road images are now available 24 x 7 via an online collaborative web site called ‘The International Dunhuang Project: The Silk Road Online’.

The works were produced on small canvas boards, wooden panels and small canvases, and made using oil paint and medium number one.

 

 

Freak of Nature

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In January this year, I was very fortunate to be invited to join an international print exchange/exhibition curated by Rona Green. The exhibition is called ‘Freak of Nature’. It opens on Tuesday 6 September at the Gippsland Centre for Art and Design, and runs until the 2nd October 2011 (see invitation below).

 

 

 

 

 

Due to the relatively large print edition (49), and the fact that I was printing in my home studio,  I knew I needed to work on a fairly simple image, in black and white. Lino was my medium of choice. I explored a variety of themes, and finally settled on an image of two sea dragons drifting through a kelp forest. There are many aspects of the sea dragon which make them appear a ‘freak of nature’, from their strange shape to their paternal habits.

The following photos show the final image and key aspects of the production process. The ink used was T.N. Lawrence’s oil based black ink, on Dutch Etch 250 gsm paper.