Both in the past and present, encountering the unique flora and fauna of Australia has stimulated a range of reactions, influencing perceptions of this country. To delve into the foundations of some these responses, I make paintings based on images of plants, birds and animals made during early European contact with Australia. Studying how the original artist made the historical image, offers me a way to imagine myself in the past. Quoting and transforming sections of the earlier imagery in my paintings, allows a re-presentation of past times and minds and the opportunity to find resonances in the present.
Yellow Wattlebird and Richae scoparia